“I can live with you in jeans.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what you wear. You’re still you underneath it all. I love you, Lee Lee, not your clothes.”
His words touched her, melted a bit of the ice around her heart. “Oh, Geoff, you sound like you really mean that.”
“I do.” He circled the table, stepping carefully over Spike, and took her hands in his. “Lee Lee, please. I miss you and I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather have as my wife. I’m willing to overlook your little indiscretion with that man. After all, nothing actually happened, did it? Why don’t we try again? Start from scratch?”
“I don’t think I can forget everything that’s happened, Geoff. And I don’t want to go back to how it was before. How I was before.”
“I like the new you.” He trailed a finger up her arm, cupping her cheek. “Say you’ll give me another chance.”
Liv put her hand over his, remembering the affection she’d once felt for this man. Could it be regained? Had this whole situation changed them both enough they could build a life together?
“All right. I’ll give it a shot.” He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away. “Baby steps. We’re starting over, and I never kiss on the first date.”
Geoff nodded and returned to his seat. While they finished dinner, his conversation rolled over Liv without her hearing it. She made encouraging noises now and then, but all she could think about was what she’d left behind, not what was ahead.
Chapter Fourteen
“What a rotten thing to happen, Mike.” Daisy sat beside him on the couch, not quite touching, but close enough he could shift his leg a bit and rub it against her thigh if he wanted.
He didn’t want. He scooted over an inch.
“Not really. This whole scene tonight saved me from making a bigger fool of myself.” Mike took a long pull of his beer. He nodded his head, remembering the thoughts he’d entertained of a long-term relationship with Liv. She was the first woman in a long time who’d made him think about permanence.
Thank God Daisy had walked in when she did. Sanity returned with a vengeance. See what happened when you started building picket fences?
“Well, Dase, we’re both sitting here, alone, on this lovely night. Shall we celebrate the return of my common sense?”
She leaned closer, shoulder brushing his, and let a finger trail down his cheek. “Sure, Mike,” she purred. “What did you have in mind?”
He grabbed her hand before it could continue its downward movement. “Not that. Geez, Daisy, Liv was right about you.”
She yanked her hand away with a huff of breath. “That woman wasn’t right about anything.”
“You might be surprised.” Mike stood up and pulled Daisy to her feet. “You know what, never mind. I think you should go home. I’m not good company tonight.”
Daisy turned to face him, stepping so close he could feel the warmth of her breath, the brush of her breasts on his chest. She wiggled against him. “Are you sure?”
Even as his over-stimulated body reacted to her nearness, his mind was revolted by her behavior. “I’ve never been attracted to an easy lay, Dase.”
Her head flew back as if he’d slapped her. She stood stunned for a moment before she spun around and ran out the door, slamming it behind her.
Good. He really didn’t want company. At least not hers. The vision of a tiny woman in a green teddy floated before his eyes. Damn her.
Rett scrambled out from under the couch and tugged at Mike’s pant leg. “Hey, buddy.” Mike picked the ferret up and snuggled him. “I wondered where you were. Did you have a good time at Liv’s house?”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, he wanted them back. He didn’t want to think about her, or how lucky Rett had been to spend the night with her.
The two of them meandered into the kitchen. Mike thought a pile of food might help his mood, but the first thing he saw was the table covered in the romantic trappings Liv had set up for their night together.
He remembered walking in after work, expecting a casual evening with a woman he lusted after, expecting to spend the time fighting off his urges. When he’d seen the candles and seen her, lust had punched him in the gut, incapacitating him. As reason returned, he’d recalled the fact she belonged to someone else.
And then she’d announced she didn’t anymore, that she’d called off her engagement. And he’d realized she was his, he could touch her, put his hands on her, without guilt. And he hadn’t been able to wait another moment.
He closed his eyes as desire surged through his body again, remembering what it felt like to kiss her, to raise up her sweater and see the bits of silk and lace she’d worn for him. To lift her tiny body in his arms and bring her to his bed.
To have her ex-fiancé walk in on them, and know she’d used Mike to spy on Geoff. Used him. Lied to him about everything.
He’d like to think it wasn’t all an act, but the facts were damning. She had lied about who she was, why she was there. And worse, Daisy told him after Liv left and Geoff went running after her, all about the fact Liv was indescribably wealthy. And he’d felt like a fool, offering her a place to stay and food to eat as though she were a vagrant.
She’d used him and lied to him and made him feel like a complete idiot. He wasn’t sure if he could forgive even one of those things, but the three together were overpowering.
He set Rett on the floor and snatched the candles off the table, throwing them into the garbage with enough violence the ferret scurried out of the room. He bundled everything else up inside the table cloth, stuffed it into the trash bag and tied it, storming outside to throw it in the dumpster.
It wasn’t until he was back inside the apartment he realized there had been no sign of Spike. Odd. He always said hello when Mike went out. He supposed the dog had found a warm spot somewhere and was sleeping off a good meal. Too bad, because Mike was inclined to feed the animal his dinner. He couldn’t eat a bite.
Exhausted, he gave his bed a glance, thinking he’d just hit the hay. The rumpled bedspread and indentation in his pillow where Liv had lain waiting for him mocked him. He wondered if the pillow smelled like her.
He growled and shook his head, grabbed a spare blanket and threw himself down on the couch. He’d sleep there, watching television until he was so sleepy he could forget he was about a foot too long for the space where he’d curled up.
He picked up the remote, turned on the set and flipped channels, hoping to find something that would engage his brain and tune out the last few hours.
*
Liv pushed Geoff out the door at ten o’clock, pleading exhaustion. He tried to kiss her goodnight, but she turned her face at the last moment and his lips landed on her cheek.
“See you Wednesday for dinner at your father’s house,” he said. “And I’ll pick you up, if you don’t mind. I have something I’d like to show you.”
“Of course.” She nodded and closed the door, locking the deadbolt in what she hoped was a clear sign she was done for the evening.
After a few minutes, long enough for Geoff to reach his car and leave, she pulled on a jacket and picked up Spike’s leash. “Come on, big guy, time for a last pee-waddle before bed.” She looped the bracelet of doggie poop baggies she’d bought at the store around her right wrist, and the pair headed out the door.
It was a crisp September night, clear with a full moon. Liv lifted her face up to count the stars, something she used to do as a child when her bed was next to the window. She’d always been sure she could finish counting before she fell asleep. She never had, of course, but doing it soothed her now just as it had back then.
Spike lifted his leg on bush after bush, before squatting and leaving a steaming pile. Liv pulled out a bag and looked at the size of it versus the size of Spike’s gift.
“I wonder if they offer these things in extra large,” she muttered, questioning again the wisdom of keeping the dog. She wasn’t sure the companionship was worth h
andling his body wastes. After she’d cleaned up his mess, grimacing the entire time, they strolled to the dumpster, where she tossed it in. She was oddly proud she’d taken care of the problem by herself.
That was something for the evening paper: Olivia Leigh, wealthy entrepreneur, picks up huge piles of warm dog poo in her off time.
She laughed at the thought and patted the mastiff on his enormous head. “So, Spike, how was your day?”
The dog cocked his head in her direction. She took it as encouragement to continue talking to him and tried to figure out why she didn’t feel like an idiot when she did.
“Mine was just wonderful. I had a great morning, went shopping, nearly seduced an incredible guy, discovered my fiancé wasn’t cheating on me and that, instead, I was the dishonest one…” She trailed off with a sigh. “Well, you know the rest.” She stopped at a bench in the middle of the grassy area near the front door. “Now what do I do? Any sage advice?”
Spike put his chin on her knee, his abundance of slobber soaking her pants in an instant. The skin above his eyes wiggled when he looked up at her, back down, and then up again.
“Nothing, huh?” She stroked his head and dropped hers back to count the stars again. Too bad there wasn’t a falling star she could wish upon. “I should at least let Mike know you’re here with me. I wouldn’t want him to worry.”
And, even if she called when he wasn’t home, she’d get to hear his voice again. She felt like a teenager with a crush. At least she hadn’t started signing her first name with his last name and circling it in a little heart. Spike lay down on top of her feet and she let her eyes close for just a moment. Her mind drifted to a better place.
“Liv?” Mike calls to her from across the parking lot.
“Mike?” She leaps off the bench and runs to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He embraces her, swinging her in a wide circle before he sets her gently down.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “It was my fault. Can you ever forgive me?”
“No, I’m sorry. I love you.” He bends his head and captures her lips in a kiss.
Liv jolted awake and looked around, hoping it wasn’t a dream, hoping instead it was a premonition. After waiting fruitlessly for several minutes, she felt a little foolish. Of course Mike wasn’t going to materialize in front of her. She stood and gave Spike’s leash a quick tug.
“Come on, boy. It’s bedtime for you and me.”
*
The next two days dragged by, and even though Liv was down in the dumps, Spike thrived on the attention he received from the girls at work and even tolerated having a bath and wearing a blue bow on his head. At least for a minute or two.
On Wednesday, Liv spent most of her time at her desk, foot tapping the metal leg of her chair while she stared at the phone, willing it to ring. More importantly, willing it to be Mike.
It never was. Twice it was Geoff—once just to say hello and once to remind her he was escorting her to dinner at her father’s, with a little surprise detour on the way. He sounded so excited, and she wondered what it was he wanted to show her. She needed to be ready for him to pick her up an hour earlier than usual.
When four-thirty finally rolled around, she changed her clothes from a skirt into a pantsuit—wishing for some comfortable jeans, but knowing she was expected to dress for dinner at her father’s house. The pantsuit was as casual as he would tolerate.
Her home would be different. It would have a dog, and people in comfortable clothes, and a lumpy sofa. Occasionally, they’d even eat pizza right out of the box and use plastic utensils. The tension that had been building all day pressed against the back of her eyes, threatening to squeeze out a tear or two. She pressed back, her fingers against her closed eyelids, and wondered how long it would take for the despair to ease.
“Lee Lee?” Geoff’s voice startled her from her pity party.
She opened her eyes slowly and forced a smile. “Right on time.”
“Of course.” He stepped into her office and circled around her desk, laying warm hands on her shoulders and giving a squeeze. “I’ve been counting the minutes.”
He’d always been romantic, always said the right things. She should be able to love him madly. Liv made a decision to do her best to forget Mike and fall back in love with her fiancé. The past was the past. Geoff was her future.
“Let’s go, then.” She covered one hand with her own. “I just need to get Spike.”
She’d expected a complaint about the dog, but aside from a slight narrowing of Geoff’s eyes, there was none. The three of them slipped into Geoff’s Lexus after a blanket from the spa was spread over the back seat for Spike’s comfort, and the protection of the gray leather seats.
“So, where are you taking me?”
“Close your eyes.”
“What?” This whole situation was so unlike calm, predictable Geoff.
“It’ll only take a few minutes.” An excited grin filled his face. “Just close your eyes and relax. Please.”
She shrugged and leaned back into the soft headrest, eyes closed. She should be enjoying the attention Geoff gave her instead of being frustrated by it. She’d been wrong about his infidelity and about so much else. He loved her, but she was suffocated by it. Would she always feel this way?
She’d put her engagement ring back on. It was a big step, but one she knew she ought to take. Liv wasn’t sure what she felt about her upcoming wedding, but figured she’d find out soon enough. If she could get the words “I do” past her lips, then she would marry Geoff. She cared very much for him, wasn’t repulsed by his kisses, and figured that was the best she could hope for right now. Surely time would help them grow closer again.
If she’d never met Mike, never been kissed by him, she wouldn’t have known she was missing anything. She’d called him twice at his home when she knew he’d be working. Once to let him know Spike had chosen to live with her and once to let him know she was mailing him the key to his apartment. On both messages, she’d told him if he wanted to talk to her, he could call her, and she’d left her home, work and cell numbers.
There hadn’t been so much as a peep from him. He hadn’t even called and hung up, because she checked her caller ID like a crazy woman at night when she returned home. The time had come to acknowledge there was no future with Mike. Her future lay in the hands of the man beside her.
In no time at all, Geoff’s car slowed to a stop and he turned the engine off. When she moved, he slapped a hand over her eyes.
“No, don’t open them. Not yet.”
She waited until he helped her out of the car and guided her several steps. This was beginning to get annoying. “Geoff, please. Can we get this over with?”
“Okay. Open up!”
Liv cracked one eyelid open and peeked out. What she saw made both eyes shoot open wide. “What? Why are we here?”
“Do you like it?” Geoff didn’t sound like an austere corporate lawyer, he sounded like a kid at Christmas.
Liv had never seen him this way. She grinned and grabbed his hand. “What did you do?”
A house, a modest but beautiful house, sat before her. She walked slowly toward the fence and then let herself in through the gate. The question of why she was here was quickly answered by the huge bow on the door and oversized card that said, “To Liv, From Geoff with all my love”.
Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn’t deserve this, not after what she’d done. A small gold sticker at the edge of the card announced “Decorations and Design by Daisy”.
Oh.
“She’s an interior designer.” She murmured the words to herself, but Geoff stood so close he heard them.
“That’s all she ever was to me, Lee Lee.” His hands gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I asked your father to introduce us because I loved you from the first moment I saw you in his office. Don’t you know that?”
Liv slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Her heart broke all over aga
in. While she’d suspected this wonderful man of cheating, he was taking his spare time to surprise her with a special and astonishingly thoughtful gift. She hadn’t thought it possible to feel any lower. She was wrong.
“Thank you.” She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her arm. “Geoff, I am so sorry for everything.”
“Shhh…” He stroked her hair. “It’s in the past and already forgotten. All I need to know is you’re here for me now.” He put a finger beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “And that you like our home.”
Her heart twisted a bit at the thought of spending her life with him when she felt so much for someone else. And yet, she had fallen for him once. There was no reason to believe she wouldn’t fall in love with him again.
He loved her. That was more than she could say about Mike—who hadn’t even bothered to return her calls. It was obviously a breeze for him to let her go and move on with his life. That fact made her decision so much easier. She tromped on the pain in her heart, determined to move forward.
Liv looped her arm through Geoff’s. “Let’s go take a look at our home. I love it already.”
Chapter Fifteen
The next week was a blur—wedding showers, a very tame and tasteful bachelorette party, and an appointment with Marissa to dye her hair back to its natural color, per Geoff and her father’s requests.
Today she had the final fitting for her wedding gown. The seamstress would surely curse at her because she’d lost more weight. She tried to eat, but nothing tasted quite right. She managed a few bites whenever she was with Geoff or Stewart, but most of what she was served went under the table to Spike if he was there, or was hidden inside a crumpled napkin.
A glance at her watch told her it was time to go. She left the relative quiet of her condo and hurried outside, tickled to see Larry was there to pick her up. She’d called him and asked for a ride if he wasn’t busy. Liv needed a chance to talk to someone level-headed and unbiased and couldn’t think of anyone but him.
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