Isabel's heart was doing that weird thing it does when it starts racing for no reason. It wasn't like she was running a marathon, she was just listening to Micah talk over breakfast but the excitement within her was getting harder and harder to tamper down. She wanted everything he promised her, but she still didn't know if the thing between them was real. It felt real to her but her mind kept trying to keep her grounded.
“I appreciate you want me to be happy but, I don't want you to feel responsible for my happiness. Besides, when this whole fake engagement thing is over, it won’t matter anymore.” She reached for her coffee, trying to numb the pain her statement caused in her. Unfortunately, the warm liquid didn’t soothe a thing.
“Izzy, what if we...”
“Alright, what can I get you two?” the server said, as she approached the table and interrupted whatever it was Micah was about to say.
Immediately Isabel wanted to tell the woman to leave, but Micah shook himself from whatever thoughts he had and began rattling off his order. When he was done, she ordered her standard breakfast of eggs benedict and a side of bacon. Room service the night before had been great, but they got a late start today and she was starving. By the time the server left, the moment was gone and Isabel couldn’t do anything but sit and wonder what he was about to say for the rest of the morning.
“Why can’t you just tell me where we are going?”
“For the tenth time, because it’s a surprise.”
“What kind of surprise requires me to pack extra clothes and to wear a sundress that washes well?”
“That’s for me to know and you to soon find out,” he said, giving her a wink from the chair he was sitting in.
The sun had set hours ago, and other than a trip to the outlet malls that afternoon, they hadn’t done much. Micah took Izzy to pick up the clothes and sneakers he would need for the night. When he left for Orlando, he hadn’t packed much and he definitely didn’t think that tonight was going to happen, but now that he got the all clear, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.
“Come on, let’s head down to the car. It’s a bit of a ride to get there and we only have a couple of hours once we arrive.”
“Arrive where?”
“The springs.”
“You’re taking me to the Wekiwa Springs in the middle of the night? Isn’t that more of a daytime thing?”
“Not for what I have planned,” he said, raising his eyebrows in her direction.
Isabel’s facial expression went from utter confusion to a smile that slowly got bigger as she stood there in silence. He smiled back at her. She had finally figured it out.
“You’re going to chase me tonight?” she asked, coming around the side of the bed, never breaking eye contact as she moved.
“I am.”
She flung herself at him, straddling his lap and kissing him everywhere her lips would land. He couldn’t help at laugh at her excitement. Isabel always had a way to bring joy into his day, but seeing this side of her was priceless.
“Can we get going now?” he said when she finally stopped and was hugging him tightly.
“Yes! Let’s go!” she said, jumping off of him and picking up the small bag she had her clothes in.
“Oh, one more thing, lose the panties.”
The ride out to the springs was about forty-five minutes, putting it at just about ten o’clock at night when they arrived. The drive provided Micah and Isabel the time they needed to discuss what would happen. He had a friend on the police force who lived at the perfect entry point to the swampy area of Central Florida. Micah had called him earlier in the day and found out he and his wife were out of town. The scenario couldn’t have worked out better. After he told him what he wanted to do, he not only offered his property for them to use, but he shared the patrol schedule for the Florida Fish and Wildlife team that monitored the area.
Micah explained to Isabel what would happen, which direction she would run in, what to be careful of. They decided on a safe word, and lastly, he explained what he would do when he caught her. The excitement seeping from her was contagious. Never in his life would he have thought he’d find a woman who shared the same kinks as him. The chase awakened something primal within him and tonight she would be his gorgeous prey. He couldn’t wait.
“Micah?”
“Yeah, Iz.”
“Can I add one more thing to the list?”
“Of course, this is just as much for you as it is for me.”
“When you catch me, I want to fight you. Like really fight you off, okay? Don’t go easy on me, I can take it... I can more than take it. I think I need this,” she said as he pulled into the driveway of his friend’s empty house.
Micah turned to her in the car once he parked and held her face in his hands, “Izzy, I will give you anything you need. All you have to do is ask.”