Cityscape Affair Series: The Complete Box Set

by Hawkins, Jessica

  “Hey,” David called, and I realized I’d been staring off into space. “You hear me? No ‘fine’ bullshit.”

  “I’ll try,” I promised.

  He eyed me another moment and continued. “If Bill calls and tries to get you back, I want to know. I’ll be fucking pissed, but I’ll do my best to control it. Because I need you to come to me.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “This is a two-way street, isn’t it?”

  He raised his chin at me. “What does that mean?” he asked.

  “You haven’t exactly been a saint through all of this. Dani, Maria, Amber, all the other girls—I think there was a Brittany in there . . .” My nose twitched. “They’re gone, right?”

  The angles of his face sharpened, and he looked almost angry. “Gone. I have nothing to hide from you, and I never have.”

  “What about Oak Park?”

  I had him there, and he knew it. Even though the Oak Park house had been my dream home, it had also symbolized the beginning of a new future with Bill. And David hadn’t hesitated to snatch it out from under us.

  David looked away and didn’t speak until his gaze found me again. “I’m sorry about Oak Park. The thing is, when I had you there in front of me, and we were in that house, run-down as it was—I saw us there, together, as a couple.”

  I sucked in a breath. He’d seen it, too. We belonged in that house—everything about it had been right. I remembered how awful I’d felt having that thought when I was supposed to be building a life with someone else.

  “I knew one day it would be real,” he said. “By the time we were leaving, I’d already done some initial sketches in my head. We’d work on it together, move in, raise a family, be fucking happy. When you told me Bill had made an offer, well . . . it hit me like a ton of bricks, Olivia. I was shocked. I wasn’t going to give up that dream.”

  He was so beautiful when passionate, and I loved listening to him as much as watching him. I thought back to the day we’d seen the house together, how suddenly quiet and stiff he’d gotten when I’d told him about our offer.

  “I guess I had this idea that you and I would eventually end up together,” David said, “and that news sort of shattered it.”

  “You thought that?” I asked.

  “Finding out Bill might get you that house was one moment where I worried I really was living in a fantasy—that I might never have you. Instead of waiting to find out, I acted. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I’m sure as hell not sorry that I did it.”

  “I saw it, too,” I blurted.

  “Saw what?” He asked.

  “Us. There. Together. It scared me. I realized my problems with Bill ran deeper than I thought, and that . . . my feelings for you did, too.”

  David’s expression softened. “I always follow my gut, Olivia. It’s how I’ve done most of my business. It’s how this happened.” He motioned between us, and I nodded in agreement. “It’s why I bought the house,” he concluded.

  I extended a leg and rubbed the inside of his thigh with my foot. “Thank you for the home,” I said. Maybe I should’ve stayed angry, but David’s belief in us awed me. “I don’t think I ever said thank you.”

  He caught my ankle and massaged it gently. “Do you accept the terms of the honesty agreement?”

  I nodded, simply because I couldn’t fathom David would let me get away with anything else. “I do.”

  “Next, what birth control do you use?”

  My thoughts screeched to a halt with the change in topic. I blinked at him. “What?” I asked. “I’m on the pill.”

  He touched his thumb to the corner of his mouth. “We need it to be the Fort Knox of birth control, considering my plans for you.”

  Oh, my. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? I nodded slowly.

  “I just made a joke,” he said. “Why do you look scared?”

  I shifted against the back of the couch. Although eager to find out David’s plans for me, the pill brought up memories I’d rather forget. Like when I’d accused Bill of hiding my pack. “Toward the end, Bill and I fought a lot about birth control,” I said. “He pressured me to go off it.”

  “Pressured you?” he repeated. “How?”

  “He wanted kids,” I said frankly. “And he didn’t believe me when I said I wasn’t ready.”

  Anger flashed in David’s eyes. “You think he loves you—if he did, he’d never push you into something like that. He’s a coward.”

  David couldn’t know what it meant to hear him say that after all the fighting Bill and I had done over the topic. I momentarily wondered if I should elaborate, but Bill had exhausted the subject of children for me. It was the last thing I felt like discussing, so instead, I said, “It was definitely a sore spot in our relationship.”

  David went uncharacteristically quiet, watching me. Finally, he asked, “When was the last time?”

  “Last time what?”

  He swallowed. “You and Bill.”

  I bit my lip, flashing back to Bill’s constant interrogations the past month. What good would it do, giving David that information? “Why do you want to know?”

  “I just do. I want to know.”

  “Are you going to hold it against me?”

  “No.” He squeezed my ankle. “I’m sorry if that’s what you’ve been dealing with.”

  I sighed and looked out the window at the city. “Bill and I haven’t been intimate much lately. He was respectful because I was grieving over Davena, but he didn’t know, couldn’t know, that my feelings for him . . . changed. After you. Or rather, I began to notice how they were different.”

  David waited for me to continue.

  I let my gaze drift back to him. “We only did it once since . . . isn’t this weird?”

  Though he appeared to be clenching his teeth, he slackened his jaw and said, “Go on.”

  “Only once since you and I were together at your apartment. And it was, I don’t know, a couple months ago maybe.”

  “I’ll tell you right now,” he said, “that will never happen around here. If anything, I’ll need you to tell me if I’m being overbearing in the bedroom.”

  I couldn’t imagine I’d ever ask David to stop. I pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them. “It’s been difficult these last several months. He tried, but I was cruel.”

  “Because of Davena?”

  “She was a rock in my life. My mom and I have never known how to be there for each other emotionally, but it wasn’t that way with Davena. She and her husband have been family friends since I was born. We became much closer once I moved to Chicago, though.”

  “It was hard, wasn’t it? Her death?”

  I blinked up at him. “Incredibly, but walking away from you was debilitating, and I spent the next three months trying to forget our night together, wishing things were different, wishing I could see you, talk to you, be with you.”

  He rolled off the arm of the couch, leaned forward, and put his hands on my knees. “Things couldn’t be different because they had to happen this way. I had a rough time, too, but it’s going to get better now. Trust me.” He reclined back, tugging my legs free, sliding his hands down until he held my ankles.

  I nodded breathlessly at his sincere words and at his skin on mine. “Next order of business?” I asked, afraid I might melt into a puddle of desire just from our proximity.

  “Finances,” he said tentatively. “If I were Bill, I’d have an axe to grind right now.”

  I’d thought the same thing. I’d left almost everything behind, and after the way Bill had shut off my cell service, I had a bad feeling he might not stop there. “We share a joint account, but he controls it,” I said. “I paid the bills—phones, rent, utilities, et cetera—but it’s all in his name. I have my own savings. It’s not much,” I offered, “but maybe I can get some money in the divorce. Although, if I’ve learned anything from TV courtroom dramas, I know infidelity isn’t exactly encouraged.” I looked around the office and over at the view. The rent f
or this place had to be more than I even made in a month, maybe two. After a few moments of silence, my eyes returned to David’s.

  “I’ll take care of you, Olivia,” he said carefully.

  What exactly did he mean by that? I blinked rapidly but didn’t respond.

  “Did you hear me?” he asked. “Money isn’t an issue. I’ve seen to it that I’m one of the top architects in the country. I own property and a business. My sister and I each received a hefty inheritance from our grandfather. Between that and work, I have more than enough to take care of us both. And,” he added with a crooked smile, “a family, when it comes to that.”

  I looked down. It was the second time he’d mentioned family, and it made me uneasy. If I let my mind dive into the specifics of what that could mean, though, on top of everything else—I might blow a fuse. I pushed the feeling aside for later.

  I should’ve felt excitement about being taken care of, but it only made me anxious. Remembering the honesty policy, I said, “I feel weird about it.”

  “If you didn’t, I’d be a little concerned,” he said, his smile still hooked at the corner. “It’ll take time to get used to, but just know that you don’t have to worry. I don’t care what you do with your paychecks from the magazine. Rip them up for all I care. You’ll never have to pay rent or a mortgage again. I’ll get you a credit card, which you’ll use going forward.”

  “David, living off my paychecks alone will be sufficient.”

  “Use that money for whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll get you a card Monday.”

  “We’ll see,” I decided, as if we were just making weekend plans.

  “So can I buy us tickets for Friday then?” he asked. “To Dallas to see your dad?”

  “I have to double-check with Beman, but let me get the tickets. My dad offered.”

  “I’d prefer to buy them.”

  “But—”

  “Didn’t Bill spoil you?” he asked.

  I blanched, then shook my head. “He hated spending money. You should’ve seen his face when we got the bill for Lucy’s bridesmaid dress,” I said. “He was almost purple.”

  “Mmm, I did love that dress,” David mused. “It was worth every penny. Those days are over. Prepare to be spoiled.”

  “Let my dad buy the tickets,” I said. “He’s a little controlling, and he won’t want to seem cheap.” I narrowed my eyes as a realization hit me. “Come to think of it, you guys have a lot of similarities.”

  David nodded, but his eyes were fixated on my mouth.

  “Should I be weirded out about that?” I asked.

  He grunted.

  “David, are you listening?”

  “What? No. I’m still thinking about that bridesmaid dress,” he admitted, tugging on my ankles. “Come here.”

  I scooted forward onto his lap. “Let’s skip tonight,” he said huskily.

  “No way. It’s your big event,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. In fact, I should start getting ready.”

  He wrapped his arms around my lower back, pinning me to him. His lips came gently to mine, and he slid his tongue along my bottom lip. I opened instinctively for him, relishing how he felt in my mouth. Before I realized it, we were enmeshed in a quickly escalating kiss. I rocked against his hardness, groaning as our groins connected. He bent me back over his arm, and I let my head fall back.

  “I want you,” he said, kissing his way down my chest.

  “You have me.”

  Slowly, he straightened me up and sighed. “Not yet. Tonight.”

  I climbed off the sofa and let him give me a tour of the apartment. In his bedroom, my evening gown in hand, he opened the French doors of his closet to reveal an expansive walk-in closet. I nearly jumped up and down at the sight. It’d been years since I’d had a closet that could fit more than the bare minimum.

  But David looked nervous. I didn’t understand why until I stepped in further and saw that the entire left side was vacant.

  “I couldn’t sleep last night so . . .” David cleared his throat and nodded at the empty space. “This is your side.”

  I took the dress from him, walked over, and hung it on the empty bar. I spotted my shopping bags from earlier in the day neatly lined up underneath.

  “Oh, David,” I said, tears pricking my eyes. His long arms wrapped around me from behind. “Are we really doing this?” I asked. “Is this going to work?”

  “It is, I promise. I promise you, Olivia, you are home.”

  A few tears fell, and I turned in his arms to face him. I reached up and felt his face, still in awe that I could touch him without feeling anything but . . .

  I love you.

  I wanted to tell him, to make him feel as adored and comforted as he’d made me feel these last couple days. To give him the same thrill I’d gotten when he’d confessed his love for me.

  But the words caught in my throat.

  6

  An enormous rock shower, big enough for several people, took up one corner of David’s bathroom. It gave the space a spa-like vibe, elemental and unrefined with rough edges but extremely relaxing.

  Knowing it would take me much longer than David to get ready for his hotel grand opening tonight, I wasted no time getting started.

  While I showered, David would be working out. He’d informed me of that by pulling open the steamy glass door just as I’d stepped under the stream of water. His eyes had run over my naked body. I’d been not just comfortable but confident hours earlier in the dressing room, but suddenly, dripping wet, I’d felt exposed.

  “Don’t cover yourself,” David had said, and I’d realized I’d crossed my arms over my breasts. “Let me enjoy the fact that you get better every time I see you.”

  I’d reddened at his compliment but had dropped my hands to my sides and let him look as water had soaked me.

  “Jesus,” he’d grumbled finally, adjusting his pants. “I’ll be downstairs at the gym.”

  That had been more than an hour ago. Post-workout, it was David’s turn to shower as I blow-dried my hair wearing the one thing David had thrown onto the pile of clothing during our shopping trip without having me model it first—a white silk robe that barely covered my ass.

  Aside from the shower, David’s bathroom also had a large, built-in bathtub wrapped in matching slate-colored rock. After I’d styled my hair, I sat on the edge of the tub and dialed Gretchen.

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “It’s me,” I said. “This is my new number.”

  “I was about to write you off as spam,” she informed me before telling me to wait as she updated my contact card. When she returned on the line, I asked, “Did you speak to Lucy?”

  “Yep,” she said and hesitated.

  “And?”

  “And . . . I guess Bill is pretty fucked up. He doesn’t know what to do with himself and keeps telling Andrew he knows you’ll return once you realize your mistake.”

  My heart sank. It wasn’t surprising—it’d only been a few days—but some small part of me had hoped once the shock had worn off, that Bill would start coming to terms with the reality that I was gone.

  “Should I go see him?” I wondered aloud.

  “Better let it be for now. At least until he cools off.” Gretchen sighed. “Andrew said Bill’s most pissed off that you gave the ring back since he thinks you’re just getting this out of your system.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. That was the reason he punched the wall.”

  The shower stopped, and David appeared in my peripheral vision, scrubbing his hair with one towel, another slung low on his hips. I couldn’t resist letting my eyes wander over him, and he gave me a wolfish grin.

  “Gretchen,” I mouthed, pointing at the phone, and he nodded.

  “I invited Andrew and Lucy to come tonight,” Gretchen told me, “but they declined. I guess Bill is going over to their place to hang out.”

  “Well, I’m glad he has Andrew,” I said, “even if it means I don’t have L
ucy right now.”

  Gretchen hummed her agreement. “Hey—Lucy said Bill told her you fainted?”

  “Oh. Yeah,” I said. “Did I not mention that?”

  “No. You’re not pregnant, are you?”

  Please, God—no. The air left the room as my mouth hung open. The thought was too terrifying. Too permanent. I didn’t want that. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I might be pregnant. The odds were slim to none. I was still on birth control, and aside from a few nights earlier with David, neither he nor Bill had come inside me without a condom in several months.

  “No, definitely not,” I said. “It was pure anxiety.”

  “Let’s hope so,” she said. “Are you okay?”

  “My elbows are a little bruised,” I said, inspecting my arm. “But that’s it.”

  I looked up because I sensed David glowering down at me. He took my arm in his hand and turned it over.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” I said distractedly to Gretchen and hung up.

  “You said he didn’t touch you,” David said.

  “He didn’t. I fainted.”

  “You fainted?” he repeated.

  “Just for a second. I was nervous.”

  David frowned. “What if it’s something serious? Could you be—”

  “No, I’m not pregnant,” I said. “I did the math. I simply didn’t eat enough on Thursday, and I forgot to breathe,” I said.

  David and I stared at each other until I rose from the edge to fix my makeup.

  “The diet or whatever you’re doing stops here,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of you not eating.”

  “It’s not a diet,” I said irritably. “I don’t eat when I’m depressed or nervous. Things should even out soon enough.”

  He eyed me skeptically but dropped the subject when his phone chimed with a text message. He picked it up from the bathroom counter and cursed.

  “What?” I asked, sweeping powder over my nose.