An Unlikely Match

She shook her head. "I was so ashamed of it; I just went home and cleaned up. I never saw him again after that and he never called or tried to contact me so I just let it go. What else could I do, let him tell everyone what he had done? I don't even know if he was actually in me or not. I know there's supposed to be blood and pain but I didn't feel any pain and I was on my period so how could I tell the difference?"

When Michael tried to pull her close again she resisted and began to cry. That gave him a chance to pull her to him and hold her until she was drained. "No one has seen that before now have they, not your family or anyone?" She thought how beautiful his voice sounded so full of concern and even a touch of fear for her, not for himself.

"No one, I don't even know why I keep it to tell you the truth..."

He stroked her face. "I think I understand your eating disorder now Brie, even if he didn't actually rape you, he violated your faith in him, your trust, he left you wondering if he wasn't right about what he said. You need to tell your family Brie, you should have never hidden it from them. And Brie, I think Fleur is the first one you should show it to you. I know she cares about you; will do all she can to help you through this, and so will I."

"Why would you...?" She didn't understand.

He bent his head and kissed her ear. "Because Fire Queen, I have no intention of letting anyone find out if you are or are not a virgin but me." His cell phone went off and he looked at the text message. "They're on the way back, the boys being nice enough to bring us breakfast. I suggest while I eat you talk to your sister. Be honest with her Brie, and remember I'm going to be close by the whole time. You're no longer alone in this."

She looked at him wondering if for once her sister had done something that wasn't going to backfire on them both. "Michael, I..."

He smiled, as he hushed her, "Shh, my fire queen, I have tried in my life to find out all I can about the world, but I've never found anything in it that I've wanted to hold and protect as much as I do you. Even as drunk as I was when Fleur directed me in here, and I saw you sleeping so intently, I decided that no matter what happened once you woke up I was actually going to sleep with a woman who interested my brain as much as she did my body. Even if you had thrown me out, I would have come back and kept coming back until I wore you down enough to at least talk to me."

Reaching up she put her fingers to his lips. "Michael, do you think maybe you could stop talking long enough to kiss me again and give me some of your confidence?"

He smiled wider then, showing a single dimple and nodding. "Your wish is my command your highness."

The kiss he gave her was deeper, harder and more searching then anything he had given her before. She moved in to the feel of his hands moving over her body and groaned as loudly as he did when the knock came on her door, announcing the return of the others.

Day Two:

Brie settled on the couch with her head in Michael's lap and he stroked her face and hair while Fleur moved around the room cursing and damning Greg to the lowest pits of hell for what he had done to her. Edward and Robert were watching her as well, both their faces lit up with admiration for the words she used and her indignation for the family loyalty she showed. When she began to wind down they kept her going with cheers and more alcohol from the bottles on the breakfast bar.

The first thing her sister had done as soon as she had finished listening to the story and watching the damning video, had been to call their parents and the rest of their numerous siblings as well as other interested family members. It was agreed all of them would come as soon as possible and Michael and his brothers had offered them use of their family jet to fly to Portland and deliver them to Chicago as soon as they were ready to go. They would be staying at the Livingstone Towers, one of the most high end hotels in Chicago at no expense and after their arrival and a chance for them to rest up, would gather again on Monday night at the Livingstone mansion for a dinner party and conference for decisions on what to do.

She had been surprised to hear Michael call his parents and inform them that they would be hosting said dinner party, yes even with such short notice, and that he would be bringing a very important guest with him. He had made it clear that this was to be a family affair only, and so his mother was not to go inviting this person or that. The more he talked the more intense his accent grew and Brie had understood her sister's love of all things British.

Turning her head, she looked at him and smiled as she told him her thoughts. "You sound nothing like Colin Firth..."

He smiled down at her, "You mean the man from that production of "Pride and Prejudice right?" As she nodded he took a drink of whiskey. "Fire Queen, no man in the world could do the Mr. Darcy that Miss Austen wrote complete justice. And while there are many homes in England that come close to the description of his home, I think only the royal's compounds can compare to what most have come to expect." He drew her up to a sitting position and had her lay against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. "Would you like to go to England with me luv? We could go the family estate and spend a weekend just hiding out in my room making love."

She giggled and took his glass from his hand. "How many of these have you had?"

"Not enough to make me as drunk as I feel just holding you close and looking into those beautiful blue eyes of yours. American men are damn fools, to pass up someone as lovely as you. I know my brothers are totally in love with your sister, why not us be that same way about each other?"

"As a researcher, do you honestly believe in love at first sight?"

He smiled, "I didn't, but now I have to go back and reconsider my thoughts on the matter. I know I've never had a physical, mental or emotional reaction to anyone like I have to you before, one, maybe two but never all three at once." His hand moved along the line of her hip and down past the hem of the black leather skirt to caress the bare skin of her legs before reaching the boots. "Do you know I've never talked less like a bloody nerd and more like a red blooded man before I met you?"

"Michael, you sound nothing like a nerd right now." She ran her fingers over the open front of his shirt and liked how the hair there felt against her hand. "Your brothers don't have any chest hair like you do."

"That's because they shave and wax. They think it's sexier. I don't agree, but if you would prefer it, I'd do it for you."

She shook her head. "Don't you dare, I like it. But for my own reference, do you prefer shaved or not?" As she asked, she wondered if she wasn't feeling a little drunk.

His deep, full throated laughter stopped everyone in the room. The silence stretched as it continued for several minutes and when he began to wind down he had actual tears running down his face. "Oh Fire Queen, you do know how to stoke the flames. Shall I ask which you are, or just discover for myself?"

She blushed deeply and buried her face in his throat. "Which ever you prefer..."

"Edward, Robert as I am the older brother and you are bound by law to do what I tell you, either close your eyes or leave the room until you are granted permission to return. My queen and I require privacy for a time." Despite grumbles and gripe they did as he asked and Michael looked at her. "Stand up a minute love, I need to do some very extensive research here..."

She did as he asked and let him draw her tight against the couch as he pushed up her skirt and examined the black lacy panties that Fleur had insisted she buy. He pushed them down slowly then looked at her with an intensity that shocked her.

"Hmm, I never considered how pink and plump a woman's vulva was, or how arousing they can look with moisture glistening in the light. Not one to pay much attention to such things when I'm in the throes of lust, I have to say I've never seem a more lovely sight then what I'm seeing right now. You've kept it shaved since the attack haven't you?" There was knowing in his tone, and sympathy.

She swallowed hard as she whispered. "Yes, I couldn't stand to look at it and remember what it looked like then."

"Then keep it shaved love, but before we stop and let them come back, just let me..." He gently spread the lips and bent his head closer to inhale her scent. She jumped a little as she felt the touch of his mouth and the tip of his tongue moving up and down. "Oh love, you taste so good, so fresh and clean. I just need to sample and I can't stop myself from it." He moved his tongue to the top of the slit and she groaned as he swirled it around her clit. What started as a sample became more and he alternately kissed and used his tongue over and over. Brie felt her body react and he began to suck as well. "Yes Brie, let me pleasure you love."

Pleasure her, he was driving her insane. Her nipples were so hard they hurt and all she could do was caress his face and run her fingers through his soft black hair. Her moans grew louder and he worked at her harder as she began to feel what was coming. When she reached the peak and felt the waves slam over her, he licked at her like a mad man, begging her for more and moving to cover his face in it.

"Oh god yes, love, more love, give me all you have..." He refused to let her move until she knew she couldn't stay on her feet any more. Sinking to her knees before him, she looked at him and saw his eyes were closed and his head was resting on the back of the couch. "Oh Fire Queen, you taste so delicious." He was licking his lips and a smile of pure pleasure was on his face.

She rested her head in his lap and knew the hardness she felt was his erection. "That was unreal; I've never expected it to feel like that."

"Love, I've never done that before to any woman, I've never wanted to but with you, I couldn't help myself, now I understand why my brothers talk about it with such enjoyment."

Brie couldn't help but look at him in surprise and shock. "You've seriously never...?"

"Never, with me it was simply an in and out thing. To be honest, it always felt like I was simply relieving a need and that was it, never had any concern for the woman I was with. Not much feeling either, most of them called me the coldest bloody bastard they had ever met. I'm twenty nine years old and if you counted all the women I've had since I was eighteen, they would number less than your total amount of fingers. I guess I just never knew if it was me they wanted or who I was. Not much different than Mr. Darcy in a way." He looked down at her and stroked her face and ran his fingers through her hair. "Unlike that pompous ass though, I will openly admit my admiration for you and all your attributes. I won't dance around and play word games when all I want to do is pull you close and spend my time kissing you."

She loved how he talked as she smiled. "And I suppose you find me more than tolerable as well as more than willing to dance with me at an assembly?"

"Oh definitely Miss Mantell, and there is one other thing you will never have to deal with in being with me, no Miss Bingley doing her best to prove how socially and physically unacceptable to me you are. Now come up and straddle my lap and let me worship your mouth love, I am desperately in need of your lips." He grinned and despite her protests he soon had her where he wanted her and was kissing her deeply.

It was a short time later that they heard Robert's soft question. "Is it safe to come out? None of us are drunk enough to want to end the party yet."

Michael laughed, "Get your bloody ass out here, this party is just beginning as far as I am concerned. At least this time I have no reason to feel like an unwanted maiden aunt around you two."

Brie kissed his throat and whispered. "From what I feel Michael, you are no aunt, I would definitely have to say you are more a very well-endowed uncle."

"And may I ask my queen just how many of those you have seen to be so sure of that?"

"I have three older and two younger brothers. I also took sex education in school and Fleur has some very interesting DVD's."

He actually leered at her as he spoke, "Has your sister been preparing you for the right man who came along? Or doing her best to corrupt her younger sister?"

"I think it's a little of both. To be honest, I think I was afraid of you at first; guys have been trying to use me to get close to my sisters since I was younger. About the time I hit puberty they seem to think that if they showed interest in me it would give them a clear shot down the road to whoever they were interested in."

He nodded, "Hmm, I admit I know more than a few men who would do such a thing. But one advantage to a man who has been raised with honor and belief in truth Brie, none of us were raised to think that way and our parents would think it an insult to our family name if we did act that way."

"How did you ever end up in Chicago anyway?"

He ran a finger along her face, making it clear he didn't want to waste time just talking but shrugged. "I was invited here to work with a group of researchers at the Millstone Foundation. The hotel was already open and my brother James, who is the oldest, was living in the penthouse. This was four years ago, and then two years ago my brothers arrived to work in the Livingstone offices across town. The family had already decided to make Chicago our main headquarters here in the states because it has the best connections to any airport in the country. Our parents flew over last year when it was clear that their sons had no intention of coming home for every holiday and moved into a mansion they found not only reminded them the most of home, but fit their own personal styles. Father likes knowing he can keep a close eye on the family investments at a flick of a finger, and Mother is enthralled with the constantly changing view as she goes around the country and she comes home from each trip loaded with photos and souvenirs to inspire her painting." He nipped at her neck, "Face it, Europe is way older than the US or Canada, but how many times you have to visit Paris before you've seen all the spots you came to see and the rest of it isn't much different. Now be a good Queen and give me a kiss love, before I starve to death with hunger for you." He said it so theatrically that everyone laughed, but Brie took pity on him, and soon she forgot all about everything but being held in his arms and kissed.

The party died a natural death as her sister and the twins made their way to the bedroom, and soon after Michael led her into hers as well. Unlike the night before he didn't keep his clothes on, instead stripping down to plain black boxer shorts and insisting she do the same.

"I want us skin to skin tonight. At least as much skin uncovered that we won't slip..."

Brie had never been able to sleep in her bra and when she asked him to help her with the back hooks; he didn't keep his hands from moving under it and caressing her while he kissed the back of her neck.

"Oh bloody hell love, I thought your legs felt like silk, but your breasts are wonderful, and as I suspected, all you. I would beg you to sleep topless if I wouldn't be tempted to revert to being a baby at my mother's nipple and end up suckling you all night long. Lord Love, go put on a nightie or shirt or something, before I lose all control."

As she went through all the choices in her drawer, she seriously wondered if she wanted to do it. Never once since turning eighteen had she met anyone who not only seemed to want to be with her as well as making her feel so good being around. She knew he had been hard as hell since the living room and it had been clear when he pulled off his pants and the front of his boxers had looked like a vertical tent. Even now she could feel his eyes on her, watching as she held up one thing after another, and she liked it. Finally she slipped a black silky short gown that Fleur had bought her last month. As she turned to go back to the bed, she stopped short and her mouth dropped open at what she saw. His boxers were no longer tented and he was standing free and tall from the front opening. Michael looked embarrassed but she saw no reason for him to be. She was sure if she was a man she would want to show something so long and lean without even thinking.

"Fire Queen, your hungry look is not helping my condition. I am laying here thinking every bad thing I can to get him to go down and I was succeeding until you saw him."

She moved on the bed and sat cross-legged beside his hip. "From what I can see Michael, you don't have a damn thing to be ashamed of, but I can go get Fleur for a second opinion...if you want me to."

"Don't you even bloody consider it. I'm not on exhibit for her or my two younger brothers. He is standing so tall and proud for one person and one person alone. Normally I would be taking care of it myself. I even considered it when I stopped off in the bathroom but I thought I could control it, I guess I was wrong."

"Michael, I could help you, I've never done it before, but I do know the mechanics of it, I've listened to my brother's talk about it enough." She didn't know why she was so willing unless it was to pay him back for what he had given her earlier.

He shook his head as he sat up then drew her back on the bed beside him. "Brie, I appreciate your offer but I don't want this to be that kind of relationship. I want us to be comfortable with each other, to be able to share our feelings and emotions before anything else. What happened earlier was nothing I'm ashamed of and I would gladly repeat it over and over, but I didn't do it with hopes of you using your mouth on me, or your hand or even testing to see if you have been violated or not. You know as well as I do that in your own way, you don't completely trust me not to treat you the way you've been treated in the past. Until you can look me in the eyes and tell me we've reached that point, I won't ask you of anything but kisses and caresses."

He turned off the lamp on the bedside table and settled them both down into a spoon position. Brie didn't fall asleep as easily as she might have feeling him pressed against him as she was but soon she had relaxed enough to settle down and dream of something besides the men and food she was often haunted by. She much preferred the nonsense dream than that of anything else.

Day Three:

What she enjoyed the most was being woken up by Michael's hands moving over her and his kisses on her bare skin.

"Michael, oh yes..."

"I can't keep my hands off you Brie, no matter how I try." His voice was deep and husky. "I don't care if I need to take care of myself a hundred times, I need to touch you." He moved her so she was on her back and he moved over her. "Brie, honey, we fit together so well." He kissed her slowly and sucked on her lower lip as he let his hand reach down to grip her bottom. She in turn wrapped her arms around his neck. "I dreamed of us like this all night long."

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"Because if I had, we wouldn't be wearing what few clothes we're wearing now, I told you how I felt last night, and I won't let it happen now, but it still doesn't keep me from wanting to torture myself and you for it. Let me torture you Brie, let me show you how hungry I am for you."

Before she could even answer, he was holding her hands up above her head with one hand and driving her crazy with the other. But not just her, himself as well, he moved over her with his free hand caressing both what was covered and what was bare. He rubbed his body in suggestive ways that had her lifting to meet him and almost begging for what he wanted, but when she started to speak, he silenced her with his mouth and shook his head. Brie soon found that she needed as little as he did to stimulate her senses and body to a fever pitch and when she cried out he groaned as well. His hand released hers and they held each other tight as someone knocked on the door and her sister didn't wait for a response to open it and the three of them stand in the doorway.