“Beman doesn’t like us to take them.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s against the law,” David said.
“Of course he can’t prohibit it, but I don’t need additional reasons to piss him off.”
He pursed his lips. “Can’t say that I love how he treats you.”
I shrugged. “He’s my boss.”
“I can excuse his being demanding, but I can’t excuse him being a dick,” David said. “Do you like the new position you’re in?”
“I like it fine.”
“But you don’t love it,” he stated.
“Like you said, it’s a job.”
“How about doing some writing? You liked it once. You might find you like it again.”
Geez. Memory of an elephant, this guy. “I do write sometimes.”
“I know. As I’ve told you, I’ve read some stuff on the Chicago M website.”
“I’m better at editing.”
“You can be good at both,” he pointed out. “And what I read was excellent.”
“You only think that because I’m sleeping with you.” I laughed. “And how can you tell from a few stupid articles?”
He gave me a stern, slightly scary look. “Do not downgrade yourself.”
My smile fell away. I agreed that was a bad habit, one that David was unlikely to let me keep getting away with. So I nodded. “Okay. I won’t.”
“What does Beman think of your articles?” he asked.
“Well . . . he’s complimentary.”
David inclined his head. “And do you think he’s just being nice?”
“God, no,” I said. “I’m sure he’d relish telling me otherwise.”
“Just because your mom’s a writer, it wouldn’t mean you were following in her footsteps.”
“I know . . .” I said, but my voice wavered.
“Know what I think?” he asked. “That you don’t want to give it a fair try because you’ve spent your life vowing not to turn into her.”
They were easy dots to connect, though I’d never thought of it in such black-and-white terms—mostly because I hadn’t considered writing an option before. “She used to tell me I wasn’t any good at it,” I admitted. “And it hurt.”
Disgust marred his handsome features. “Don’t listen to that shit.”
“I grew up thinking it was true.”
“You say Leanore was jealous of everyone, even you for getting your dad’s attention.” He stretched his jaw, then rubbed it. “Demeaning you made her feel in control while putting you in your place. I get the feeling whatever your hobby had been, she would’ve shit on it.”
My eyes drifted between us. I’d never had anyone try so hard to figure me out. David wanted to show me the reasons I shut down, discredited myself, retreated, hid behind a mask—why I’d created the mask in the first place. He’d been doing it all week, and it was both unnerving and exhilarating. It was hard for me to admit, but, quietly, I said, “I think you’re right.”
“I know I’m right, and I want you to prove her wrong.”
“But it doesn’t change the fact that if I started writing, people would make the connection between her and me. She’s Leanore Germaine, which isn’t exactly a common surname. I’d be in her shadow.”
“Then use Dylan,” he said.
At the unexpected suggestion, my breath caught in my throat. Olivia Dylan. I tried it out in my head. I liked it. I liked it too much for someone who was still legally married to another man. I loved it.
He chuckled, and I blinked up at him. “What’s funny?” I asked.
“The expression on your face. I can practically see your mind spinning. And you think I’m easily spooked.”
I scowled. “I’m not scared of taking your last name,” I said. “But anyway.”
“Anyway what?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, grasping for a change of topic.
“Anyway, write something,” he said. “Do it now. I’ll stop bothering you.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” I said, but it wasn’t true. I thought back to a short story I’d written for a creative writing course in college. I only had a handful of pages, but it was something . . .
David leaned under the seat in front of me and grabbed my carry-on bag. “Here,” he said, excavating my laptop. “Just try it for twenty minutes. If you hate it, we can have sex in the bathroom.”
I sat up and widened my eyes. “Really?”
“Really. But I’ll be timing you.”
I accepted the computer. “Deal.”
A few minutes later, my fingers flying over the keyboard, a flight attendant in the aisle waved at me. “Ma’am? Hello? It’s time to stow your laptop.”
I blinked twice at her. “What?” I asked. “But we’re nowhere near Chicago.”
David snickered into his fist. “We’re about to land.”
“But I just started writing.” Had I completely lost track of time with my nose stuck in my laptop?
“Please stow the laptop and bring your seat back to the upright position,” the flight attendant said.
I shook my head in disbelief but did as she said.
“So, how’d it go?” David asked, grinning as I packed up the computer. “Not well, I presume.”
With his ribbing, I frowned, even though I was giddy over the fact that the words had poured out of me. “I didn’t want to do it in a disgusting airplane bathroom anyway,” I teased.
“Liar.”
I snuck my arm between David’s back and the seat to wrap him in a sideways hug and rest my head on his ribcage.
“You realize that you wrote for an hour straight,” he said, rubbing my arm.
I’d read over my story, decided I’d liked it, and created an outline. I’d started thinking harder about characters, the ones I already had and the ones I would add. I’d even written another handful of pages. I smiled. He was right, of course. I had enjoyed it. “Thanks for making me do it.”
“If it’s going to interfere with our sex life, though, I may have to forbid it,” he said.
“Impossible,” I said through a smile, glancing up to catch his adoring gaze. As the plane began its descent, I reached up to finger a piece of his hair, then touched his lips. He’d done nothing but prove to me over and over that he wanted me by his side. That he wanted me to become the best version of myself. That he cared. “David?” I said.
“Hmm?”
“I want to move in with you.”
He squeezed me against him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Let’s do it. I don’t want to wait any longer to start our life together.”
“Honeybee,” he said, kissing my forehead, “it has already begun.”
* * *
At my new home, I followed David into the apartment and then to the bedroom. I put my suitcase next to his and waited for his next move. Just saying out loud that I wanted to move in didn’t make the place feel like mine. In my mind, I was sleeping at my boyfriend’s place.
He took our suitcases into the walk-in closet. I’d noticed earlier in the week that my shopping bags had been unpacked, and everything neatly hung. Shelves with LED lighting illuminated my new shoes like artwork.
“Did you do this?” I asked, nodding at my side of the closet.
“The housekeeper.”
“And she took off the tags?”
“I did that,” he said. “To show you that I kept the faith.”
“Well, that’s just bad business, Mr. Dylan. You would’ve been out a pretty penny if things hadn’t worked out.”
He stepped forward and pulled me against his hard body. “I would’ve been out a lot more than that. Don’t do it again.”
I nodded.
“Say it.”
“I won’t leave again,” I said.
“Now tell me you’re mine . . .”
I smiled. “I’m yours . . .”
“And that you love me.”
“I love you.”
&n
bsp; “I’m hard,” he answered.
I laughed as his erection pressed maddeningly against my tummy. “Yes, I can feel that. Is it all right if I shower first, though?”
“Christ,” he said, patting my ass and releasing me. “You don’t need my permission to take a shower.”
I grabbed my robe from a hook. “A new home is going to take some getting used to, David.”
“Why?” he asked. “Just do as you please.”
I looked at him skeptically. “I’ll be in the shower.”
“If that’s what pleases you.”
I rolled my eyes, and he laughed.
“Listen, no bad behavior in the shower,” he said. “I’ve barely gotten my fill of you this week, so I want your complete attention tonight.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, squirming.
“That means hands off my shower nozzle.”
I raised an eyebrow and gave him my most lascivious smile. Then I left him and his hard-on in the closet. It might be some time before I got used to my new home, but it wouldn’t take forever. He made it easy because now, he was my home. And like Davena had tried to tell me, it didn’t matter where we were as long as we were together.
Like Davena and Mack. Without really grasping it, I’d always envied their love. And now I had it. I held no more doubts that David’s and my exceptional love would rival Mack and Davena’s. The thought filled my heart with happiness.
I hoped Mack would be able to see how much David meant to me, but I still worried. People’s reactions varied greatly, and it wasn’t always what I expected.
The heat and steam from the shower loosened my body, but did nothing to diminish my mounting arousal knowing David had plans for me. After I slid into the heavenly fabric of my white silk robe, I found my new roommate focused on the computer screen in his office.
“Get in here, gorgeous,” he said without looking up.
“You look busy.”
“I am,” he said. “Lots of catching up to do. I’m not used to taking days off.”
“So I’ll let you work,” I said with a step backward.
“Wait.”
I froze.
“Turn around.”
I bit my lip and rotated in a slow circle until I faced him again.
“I maintain—that robe was the best purchase.” My body, out of my control, reacted to the way his eyes drifted over me. My breasts swelled, my tummy tightened, and my hands burned with the thought of touching him. I had urges that I wanted to satisfy by climbing into his lap. He looked like a god, backdropped by the nighttime Chicago skyline. A god in a plain, white t-shirt, and—I hoped—those sexy gray sweatpants.
David pointed to the couch. My gaze followed until it landed on my laptop. “Work with me,” he said. “Write.”
“I won’t distract you?”
“You will most certainly distract me, but this way, I won’t worry about what trouble you’re getting into.”
I smirked. Because I couldn’t help myself, I crossed the office and kissed his coarse cheek, then ran my finger over the spot my lips had just been.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I haven’t shaved in a couple days.” I kissed him again, because I loved the way he felt.
It was easy to get caught up in my new project even though David distracted me as well. When he focused, the angles of his face sharpened so he looked equally menacing and attractive. I sighed longingly even though he was mine for the taking. All mine.
After breaking through barriers and uprooting longtime fears, I was more relaxed than I had been in a long time. But I knew I could’ve lost him, and so, I was extra grateful to have him. With that in mind, I wanted to make things right with Lucy. Once she saw my happiness, my transformation, she’d understand everything. When I’d finished writing for the evening, I decided to e-mail to her.
From: Olivia Germaine
Sent: Sun, November 18 08:16 PM CST
To: Lucy Greene
Subject: Hi
We need to talk. I miss you dearly, and I want a chance to explain. I’m happy, Luce.
Will you agree to see me for a coffee this week? Or maybe, if I dare, lunch?
-O
I glanced up and caught David looking at me. “Busted,” I said.
“What, you’re the only one allowed to stare?” he asked.
I blushed, cursing under my breath. “You noticed?”
“I’m acutely aware of when your eyes are on me,” he said. “It’s actually very frustrating.”
I smiled because I knew the feeling well. “It’s bedtime,” I informed him. I’d had enough staring and was ready to act on the fantasies I’d been having all day.
“It may be your bedtime, but I usually work for another hour.”
“Oh, okay.” I slammed my laptop shut and stood to stretch. I reached for the ceiling, aware of where that would place the hemline of my short robe.
His gaze dropped to my thighs. He licked his lips. Smiled sinfully. What exactly did he plan to do to me with that sinful mouth?
“But I guess things are different now,” he said. “Give me a few minutes to wrap up here.”
I smiled giddily and tried not to skip to the bedroom. On my way, I imagined how and where he might fuck me tonight. Against the refrigerator? On the bathroom counter? On the balcony? Standing? Sitting? Right side up? Upside down? An excited thrill made its way through me, but it stopped cold when I grabbed my phone from my purse and saw that I had a text from Bill.
Bill: If you don’t come get your shit tomorrow night, it’s going out with the trash.
Bill had a right to be angry, but his words still stung. I could fight back, or I could give him what he wanted, hopefully putting an end to things quickly. I sent my response.
Me: I’ll do it while you’re at work.
Bill: I changed the locks. It’s already in boxes, I’ll be home after 6
I sighed. This would be tricky. David and Bill had already proven they couldn’t be in the same room together. Not that I really wanted to force them on each other anyway. Luckily, the sum total of my things could be moved in one trip, and as much as I admired David’s brawn, I didn’t need it.
I texted Gretchen to ask if she’d help me in exchange for dinner. Bethany had a truck I knew she’d let us borrow, since David’s vehicles wouldn’t fit the boxes. I doubted he’d let me drive his fancy car anyway—my dad never had.
I bit the inside of my cheek to the point of discomfort as I sat on the bed and read Bill’s texts again. He’d changed the locks already. His patience seemed to be dwindling. I reasoned that my things were constant reminders of my absence, and if I were in his position, I’d want them out, too.
“You’re deep in thought,” David said behind me.
My head snapped up. I’d been right—David was a god in yummy gray sweatpants. “It’s nothing,” I said, tossing the phone aside and already envisioning him shirtless.
“Nothing?”
“Bill wants me to clear my stuff out tomorrow night.”
David’s brow furrowed. “That’s fine. We can go after work.”
I folded my knee under my bottom and held my palms open in front of me. “Actually,” I said warily, “I thought I’d just go with Gretchen. We’ve already arranged it.”
He snorted. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Hear me out,” I said. “Bill’s been through enough. Showing up with you to pick up my things would just be pouring salt into the wound.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Did you think I was joking when I said you couldn’t be alone with him?”
“I wouldn’t be alone—”
“Did you?” he barked.
“No,” I snapped back at him, “that’s why I made plans with Gretchen. I respected your request. Now, you have to respect my decision.”
“It’s not a request,” he said, stepping forward. “Having Gretchen there won’t do shit if Bill snaps. My answer is no.”
“I wasn’t asking,” I said immediately.
“You’re forbidding me from seeing my husband?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t—”
“The hell I can’t!” he roared. “You are not to be alone with him. Ever.”
My mouth fell open, and we stared at each other for a tense moment. His anger came from a place of concern, but did he really think he could prohibit me from seeing someone?
“It’s not safe,” David said, softer but still heatedly.
“Is this about my safety? Or something else?” I stood and walked across the room, stopping a couple feet in front of him. “I’m so sorry for how I handled things this week, but I’ve made up my mind. I choose you. Things are completely done with Bill. He’s not a threat.”
“That’s not my concern,” David said, unmoving. “Bill is unstable. I don’t want you in a position where you might get hurt.”
“He’s not unstable, he’s in pain. I know him better than anyone—he won’t hurt me.” I crossed my arms. “All my things are packed. I just have to pick them up.”
“How will you transport them?” David asked.
“Gretchen’s roommate has a truck. My stuff won’t fit in either of your cars anyway.”
“I’ll find something,” he said.
I stared at him. His obstinance could be helpful in some ways, but in this moment, it was uncalled for. Bill had been through enough. I wasn’t going to turn the knife by making him watch my new boyfriend essentially remove me from the life we’d built together. “Thank you for the offer, but you can’t come,” I said. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair to him, and it’s not necessary.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “You’re with me now, not him. Don’t take his side.”
My anger fizzled slightly. David and I had done a lot of work, and him thinking I’d take Bill’s side over his was definitely a move in the wrong direction. If our roles were reversed, I’d be really hurt by that. I took a deep breath and tried a different approach. “I’m on your side. I love you. So much, that I can’t contain it around you. It seems unfair to rub Bill’s face in how happy I am.” I sighed. “Honey, it’s just a few boxes.”
Cityscape Affair Series: The Complete Box Set Page 78
