”Nothing,” she retorted. ”I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She picked up the box and dragged it along with the bear in her arms, into her room. Then she threw herself on the bed with her face snuggled into Nate’s t-shirt. It looked like the t-shirt he’d been wearing the day before when they were Skyping. She imagined him wearing it, thinking of her. It made her buzz with happiness. He had had his t-shirt flown across an entire ocean for her. Just because she had said she missed him and missed his smell.
Suddenly she noticed a card tied around the bear’s thick, furry neck. She sat up and ripped it off. It was a note from Nate. His handwriting was beautiful, elegant and driven.
”Olivia,
I wish it could have been me inside that box, but this is to tie you over until I’m with you again.
Nate”
When they Skyped later that afternoon, she put the bear with the t-shirt still on next to her so he could see it. He laughed when he caught sight of it.
”Good, I see my little friend has arrived safely.”
”Not so little,” she corrected, grinning.
”No, that’s true. I didn’t want my t-shirt to smother him. He’s a man’s teddy bear, isn’t he?” he laughed.
”He sure is,” she agreed, ”and your t-shirt looks good on him, although not anywhere near as good as it did on you.” She smiled happily at him. ”How was your day yesterday, Nate?”
”Long and tedious. But I’m all good now that I get to see your face again. Did you fall asleep all right, last night?”
”Yes, thank you, I did.” She smiled at him. ”It felt almost as if you were here with me. Were you thinking of me?” she asked, so curious.
”Yeah, I was, all day in fact. It drove people nuts, apparently I came across as a little too absent-minded to some,” he smiled wryly.
”Funny that. Sasha complains every day that I’m too preoccupied and never fully present nowadays. And I never want to do anything with her after work anymore, I just want to get home and wait for your call. She thinks I’m so pathetic.” She grinned mischievously.
”Really? She should hook up with Andy then, he complains of similar behavior on my part.”
”We’re really annoying the people around us, aren’t we?” she said, pleased at the humor of each of them stumbling around like smitten fools on either side of the Atlantic.
”Yep, looks like it,” he grinned. ”Oh, speak of the devil, here comes my morning coffee.” He took the Starbucks cup being handed to him off-screen.
She heard Andy’s voice.
”Morning, Olivia. Is he trash-talking me?”
”Only a little bit,” she answered.
”Hey,” Nate protested, ”don’t tell on me like that. Might piss him off so much I have to shell out for a bigger Christmas bonus this year.”
”After what I have to tell you, you will in fact owe me a huge bonus,” Andy broke in. ”You see, Olivia,” he leaned in and looked at her, ”your boy here has been working his ass off these past weeks to be able to go back to Sweden as soon as possible. And he’s been doing such a great job, he only has three days left of work here before he can hop on a plane back to you.”
”Oh, thank you, Andy! That’s wonderful news!” She felt her heart beat faster at the thought of Nate getting on a plane in only a few days time.
”Anytime, Olivia,” Andy smiled at her and then he turned to Nate. ”You have the last thing, that luncheon thing on Sunday and I’ve already booked the first flight out as soon as you’re done there. You up for it, you think? It’s going to be a couple of insanely jam-packed days.”
”Hell, yeah, I’m up for it! I’ll sleep on the plane.” He turned to look at Olivia. ”Olivia, I’m going to be in Stockholm late Monday morning. You haven’t changed your mind about me coming, have you?” He seemed a little tense, waiting for her reply.
”No, of course not!” she assured him. ”I can’t believe it’s only three days left until I get to see you again.” Her eyes filled with tears. ”Thank you, Nate,” she whispered, ”you make me so happy.”
His eyes filled with immense tenderness.
”Just returning the favor, love,” he answered softly.
She heard Andy calling in the background.
”Thirty seconds, then you have to be in the car, Nate!”
”All right,” he called back. ”I’m sorry, baby, I have to go. I’ll try to call you before you go to sleep. Okay?”
”Okay,” she answered. ”Bye Nate,” she whispered.
”Bye, love.”
She turned off the computer and curled up on the bed with the bear and Nate’s note.
* * *
”You look like you won the lottery. What happened?” Sasha asked, when Olivia showed up for work the next day. She was working double shifts that weekend to appease Rashid in preparation for her week off work.
”He’s coming back on Monday!” She hugged Sasha fiercely, so happy she couldn’t contain herself.
”So he is coming back? Wow, I really didn’t think he would,” Sasha said, with an astonished expression on her face.
”You really shouldn’t be so cynical about people, you know,” Olivia chided her. ”Of course he’s coming back, he promised, didn’t he?” She felt like shouting it from the rooftops for everyone to hear. The joy she felt was almost dizzying.
”All right, then. I’m taking you shopping for lingerie after work today,” Sasha wriggled her eyebrows at her.
Olivia blushed.
”Nooo,” she groaned. The thought of being subjected to lingerie shopping with a Sasha on a mission didn’t appeal to her in the least.
”Oh, yes, girl! That man is sexy as hell and you are going to be as well, if it’s the last thing I do.”
Olivia knew she didn’t stand a chance when Sasha looked that determined so she gave in.
”But I’m not promising I’ll wear any of it, especially if you pick out really outrageous stuff.”
”Please, Liv, when did I ever give you reason to doubt my excellent taste in anything fashion related?” Sasha shot her a stern look. ”I’m going to make you look sexy as hell but still like yourself. Trust me, it’ll be fun.”
Chapter 9
Olivia couldn’t believe her luck, as she looked over at the man sitting next to her, on Monday afternoon. He’d been right, of course, he was a good driver. He’d rented a black Volvo SUV at Arlanda airport, before picking her up at home. Sitting there, behind the wheel, he looked like a demigod, with a five-o-clock-shadow and his shiny, chocolate brown hair a little messed up after the long flight. He was dressed in a soft caramel colored v-neck sweater and dark blue jeans. He looked over at her and smiled. Her breath caught in her throat, he was so beautiful it was almost painful to see.
”What are you thinking of?” he asked, lifting her left hand to his lips and softly kissing the palm of her hand, without taking his eyes off the road ahead.
”You,” she said. ”I can’t believe you came back.”
”Why not? Don’t you trust me? I promised you I would,” he said, a crease between his brows as he glanced over at her, still keeping her hand in his big warm one.
”I do trust you, I just don’t understand why you would come all the way back here because of me. Next to you, I’m so ordinary. I bet you could have any girl you wanted.”
He snorted dismissively.
”You really don’t see yourself clearly, Olivia. I’ve never met anyone less ordinary than you. You are ravishing, inside and out. I want only you. You’ve completely mesmerized me,” he said softly, locking his eyes with hers for a second, before returning them to the road.
”Thank you,” she whispered. ”You make me happier than I know how to express, Nate. I’m so glad you came back, it’s torture being without you.” She stroked the back of his hand, trailing the tendons lightly with her fingers.
”Olivia…” he moaned. ”How long until we’re there?”
”We’re getting closer,” she said, peering out th
e window. It was only a little after four in the afternoon, but already dusk, getting darker by the minute. This was the darkest time of year in Sweden and normally it weighed on her, making her feel slightly depressed, but she was fine with it now, the happiness of being with Nate again, overcoming the darkness.
”After we’ve passed through this little town here, we need to turn right, up into the mountains. I’ll show you,” she said. ”I think it’s about fifteen minutes left.”
The butterflies in her stomach multiplied. She wondered what it would be like to be with him. She longed to feel him inside her and belong to him in every way possible, but at the same time she was scared stiff at the thought of letting him so close. What if he didn’t like her? What if she wasn’t good enough? She cringed at the thought of all the gorgeous, worldly women he must have been with before. How could she possibly compete with that? She couldn’t. A feeling of dejection settled over her like a dark cloud. He noticed too.
”What is it, love? Is something wrong?” he asked, concern in his voice.
She tried to smile.
”No, I’m fine, Nate. Really, I am.” She tried to force the negative thoughts out of her head. But then she couldn’t help but ask.
”You wouldn’t be here unless you really wanted to, right?” she asked, worry tinging her tone.
He looked over at her, surprise on his face.
”Trust me, Olivia, I want to be here with you, more than anything. Is that what you’re worried about?”
She blushed a little, but decided to be honest. She didn’t want to hide anything from him.
”Yes,” she admitted. ”I thought maybe you felt obligated to come back, because you had promised.” She didn’t dare look at him as she spoke.
He started laughing.
”Olivia, you think far too highly of my personal morals. I’m a selfish man and I value my freedom. I’ve never been with anyone I didn’t really want to be with. When I choose to be with someone I’m one hundred percent in, all the way.” He reached over and caressed her cheekbone with the back of his hand. ”I’m an all or nothing kind of guy, Olivia. And I want all of you.” He looked at her, intense emotions playing on his face.
She swallowed, she didn’t know what to say to that. She looked out onto the road instead.
”Oh, turn right at the next intersection,” she exclaimed. ”Do you see that small road over there? That’s where we’re going. The cabin is at the end of it.”
They had stopped for groceries on the way and now had more than enough to not have to leave the cabin for the whole five days they would have there.
When they stopped in front of the little brown house, made out of timber logs, and nestled into the woodsy hillsides surrounding it, the porch light was on and smoke was coming out of the chimney.
”Grandpa must have been here to turn the heating on for us,” she smiled at Nate when they had both exited the car.
”That’s very kind of him. Don’t they live an hour away by car?”
”Yes, they do. You remember?” she said, pleasantly surprised.
”Of course,” he said, as if nothing was more natural to him. ”I remember everything you ever told me.” He looked down at her, his eyes dark with tenderness.
She threw her arms around him and kissed his chin. He caught her mouth hungrily with his and drew her body close to his own. She ground herself to him, trying to get as close as possible. He groaned and plundered her mouth with his tongue, holding her head tightly in his hands, her hair all tangled up in his strong fingers. He grabbed her butt and pressed her against him. She could feel his erection through his jeans and felt dizzy with desire.
Suddenly he broke away and drew jagged breaths.
”Olivia, I’m losing control here. We have to slow down. I don’t want to rush this.” He caught her face in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. ”I want the first time we’re together to be perfect, something we can remember for the rest of our lives. ”
”Me too,” she whispered, out of breath.
”Let’s make dinner and eat first,” he said. ”It will be a good exercise in self-control for me,” he grinned and grabbed their bags in one hand and her in the other.
She unlocked the door and they went inside. The cabin consisted of one large room with a fireplace to one side and the kitchen in the opposite corner of the room. There was an old leather couch against the wall close to the fire place and no TV, only a book shelf with a selection of novels and some board games. Off to the other wall and beside a row of windows, there was a large oak dining table that seated eight. Framed photos of the surrounding countryside, taken during different seasons by her grandmother, adorned the walls. There were two rather small bedrooms to each side of the hallway and only one bathroom. Suddenly she felt nervous he would find it too rustic, too primitive. She really didn’t know that much about his everyday life, but she suspected it was quite comfortable, since money didn’t seem to be an issue and he had a full-time personal assistant. She glanced up at him. He was looking around.
”This is perfect,” he said. ”It reminds me of my grandpa’s fishing cabin, up at Grand Lake. I loved spending time with him there in the summers.” He smiled down at her and drew her into his side. ”Sometimes he would take only me, not my brothers, and we’d spend the weekend there, fishing early in the mornings. He’d tell stories of when he was a boy. I loved that.”
She smiled back at him and relaxed a little.
”So it’s not too simple for you?”
”I’m a farm boy, Olivia. I may not live that life nowadays, but I’ll always feel most at home in the country.” He raised his hand and caressed her face.
”You are so beautiful, Olivia, in every way possible. I can’t believe that you chose me. I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”
She reached up and kissed him tenderly on the lips. She ran her fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck and looked into his eyes. She whispered in Swedish:
”Jag älskar dig.” (I love you.)
”What does that mean, Olivia?” he asked, curiosity burning in his eyes.
She laughed.
”It means, let’s make dinner,” she lied and broke away.
”Is it all right if I take a quick shower first, freshen up a bit?” he asked then.
”Of course,” she said, ”I’ll unpack and take care of the groceries in the meantime.”
* * *
When he came out of the bathroom a little while later he was freshly shaven and looked gorgeous, his hair all wet after the shower. She threw herself at him and nuzzled his neck.
”God, you smell good enough to eat,” she murmured.
He laughed.
”Good. You can eat me anytime you want,” he winked at her.
She blushed, she couldn’t help it.
”Olivia, my love, you’re extra lovely when you blush,” he said and laid his hand on her cheek.
”Oh, Nate, look what I found,” she said and turned away to point to the dining table.
He came with her to take a look.
”Grandma sent us a cake,” she exclaimed. ”It was my mother’s favorite cake. Grandma always made it for her birthday. Even after she had moved out, Grandma would make it for her every time she came home to visit.” Tears welled up when she saw her mother’s face in her mind. She had always thought her mother the most beautiful person in the world.
At once his arms were holding her tight against his chest.
”You miss her very much, don’t you, love?”
She couldn’t speak, the tears running freely now. She just nodded.
He kissed the top of her head.
”You will never be alone again, Olivia.” He tipped her head up with a finger beneath her chin. ”I will never leave you,” he vowed and looked deep into her eyes.
”Don’t make promises you may not be able to keep,” she whispered.
”The only thing that could cause me to break that promise, is if you ask me to leav
e, if you one day decide you don’t want me around anymore.” Pain filled his eyes as he spoke.
”I will always want you,” she said fiercely.
”That’s settled then. You’re mine, Olivia, I will never let you go.” He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly.
Her knees suddenly gave in, but his strong arms caught her.
”Baby, are you okay?”
”Yes, yes, I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened,” she said, embarrassed.
”We should get some food into you. I shouldn’t let myself get so distracted, like a smitten schoolboy,” he chided himself.
He put her down in front of the fire her grandpa must have lit. It was still burning softly. Then he went straight to the kitchen and started making some noise.
She loved sitting there, watching him make a mess of the kitchen, but she felt a little guilty. After a while she called out to him.
”You want some help with that?”
”Nope,” he called back, ”I got it.” He turned around and flashed one of his million dollar smiles at her. ”I hope you like pasta, ’cause that’s about the only thing I know how to make.”
”I love pasta.”
”Great!” He seemed pleased and started whistling to himself.
He sounded happy and a tender warmth filled her. He was happy here with her.
She drank in the full glory of him in the kitchen. He had the sleeves of his black cashmere sweater pushed up and his ass looked amazing in a pair of beige combat-style trousers. She could see the ripple of muscles in his forearms as he diced the ingredients for the sauce.
She finally got up and set the table. She brought out candles and lit them. Then she put some more logs on the fire to keep it going.
Whatever it was he was making, it smelled delicious. Her curiosity got the best of her and she snuck up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
”That smells heavenly,” she stated. ”What is it?”
”Spaghetti Carbonara.” He pulled her into his side and nuzzled her hair with a contented sigh.
Destined for the Star (Starstruck) Page 9
