A Beautiful Mess

by T. K. Leigh

  “If it was the best week of your life, why did you go running to Plastic Surgery Barbie?”

  Alexander laughed again and Olivia could just see the smile in his eyes. “That’s a good one. I’ll have to remember that.”

  “That’s not an answer, Alexander.” Olivia took a long slug of her drink, wanting to numb the growing ache in her heart.

  “I told you last weekend. Adele is an old family friend. I am not interested in being with someone as self-absorbed as she is. I’m interested in being with a kind, loving, caring individual. Someone who doesn’t care how large my bank account is. Someone who devotes her time to improving the lives of others around her, human and otherwise. Someone who makes my heart swell whenever I think about her. Who puts a smile on my face just knowing that she’s out in the world. Who drives me all sorts of crazy when she looks at me with her beautiful brown eyes. I’ve been waiting my entire life to find you, Olivia. Please. Don’t shut me out.”

  Olivia blushed and remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Kiera raised her eyebrows.

  “What do I say to that?” Olivia whispered.

  “Say what you think you should,” Kiera whispered back.

  “Is Kiera in there with you?” Alexander asked through the door.

  The two girls giggled. “Yeah. She’s here. Making sure I don’t do something incredibly stupid like forgive you.”

  Kiera slapped Olivia.

  “Hi, Kiera,” Alexander said.

  “Hi, Alexander. And don’t worry. I’m actually hoping you can convince Olivia to forgive you so that I can go back to my own miserable existence and not have to be on Olivia-watch, fearful that she’ll flee the city again.”

  Olivia slapped Kiera, nearly spilling her drink. “Shut up, bitch.”

  “What do you mean flee the city? Has she done that before?” Alexander asked even though he knew the answer.

  “Yeah. Once before,” Kiera explained. “But it’s not my story to tell.”

  Olivia mouthed the words “thank you” to Kiera.

  Alexander lowered his voice. “Olivia, Love. Please come out and talk to me.”

  She stared at Kiera, looking for advice on what to do. Kiera stood up, walked over to her friend, and grabbed her hands, pulling her up. “You need to at least start the conversation, Libs. You can’t run all your life.”

  Olivia straightened herself up and handed Kiera her empty beer bottle before opening the door. Alexander scurried to his feet when he heard the door click open. He stared at Olivia. She looked beautiful as always, but there was a hint of sadness in her face. He would never forgive himself for causing that look.

  Kiera walked out of the bathroom behind Olivia. “I’ll leave you two to sort this out and, so help me God, you better buck the fuck up, Alex,” she said before walking away.

  Seeing Alexander up close made Olivia’s heart ache all over again. Not wanting to listen to his empty lies, she stormed down the hall and out the front door of the bar. She continued walking down the sidewalk until Alexander caught up to her, the street bustling with people heading out to one of the many bars that dotted the area.

  “Olivia, Love,” he called out. Olivia turned around to face him, realizing Kiera was right. She couldn’t run all her life.

  Alexander moved toward her, the street lamp casting a glow on him, making his eyes shimmer.

  “Please, stop. If you touch me, I don’t think my heart could take it, so just say what you want to say,” she pled with him, her eyes brimming with tears.

  “I wanted to apologize for my behavior last weekend,” he said softly. “I know it all looks so suspicious, but there really is an explanation for everything.”

  “Why did you go to Connecticut? What was there?” Olivia asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I grew up there, Olivia. My family’s home is in Mystic and I go back once a year on the same day.”

  “What for?” Olivia was not going to back down. She wanted all the answers.

  “It’s hard to explain,” Alexander answered.

  “Well, try, Alex,” she hissed. “Try real hard.”

  Alexander reeled. She had never called him Alex before, except when they were kids. But she wouldn’t know that.

  He took a deep breath. “When I was nine years old, my best friend growing up passed away. I went to visit her grave, as I do every year on August twenty-fourth.”

  “August twenty-fourth? That’s the same day…”

  “I know. That your parents died.”

  Olivia’s heart sank. She immediately felt guilty for how she had treated him. But that still didn’t clear up everything.

  “Then why didn’t you call me or anything?”

  “I don’t know, Love. I really don’t. It was weird. I was at my friend’s grave telling her all about my life and all I could talk about was you. And I know this may not make sense, but I just needed to focus on the weekend. On my friend. And I felt guilty, I guess, if I didn’t devote the weekend to her memory.”

  Olivia took a step forward, placing her hand on his shoulder briefly, a look of compassion on her face. “I truly am sorry, Alexander. I know how difficult it is to lose someone you’re close to. And it’s wonderful that you still return home to honor her memory. It takes a strong person to do that. I know. I’ve never been able to pull myself together enough to visit my parents’ graves. I don’t even know where they’re buried, to be honest. My uncle did, but he passed away.” Olivia gazed off into the distance, a pensive look on her face.

  “Hey,” Alexander said, interrupting Olivia’s thoughts. Her face snapped back to meet his eyes. “It’s okay. We all mourn in our own ways. And this is my way. The Adele thing just kind of came out of nowhere. I thought maybe going to the event at the country club would help me take my mind off things, seeing old friends and what not. Then my brother and sister showed up, knowing I would be home that weekend. We ended up going to the casino Saturday night. And then when I saw you and I saw that guy with his hands all over you…” he trailed off, his face becoming red with anger, recalling how he felt when he saw another man with his hands on her body. “I lost it. I absolutely lost it, Olivia. The thought of anyone else touching you drove me crazy.” Alexander lifted his hand and cupped Olivia’s cheek, thankful when she didn’t brush him away.

  “Then why did you just let Adele drag you away? Didn’t you see how hurt I was?” she asked quietly.

  “I did. I’m so sorry. And if I could get a do-over I would take it in a heartbeat to spare you of that pain. The last thing I ever want to do is to hurt you, Olivia.” He ran his thumb across the old scar on her forehead.

  “Well, you did hurt me, Alexander,” she said with a lump in her throat, her chin quivering. “More than I thought you could.” A tear fell down her cheek.

  Alexander exhaled loudly, dropping his hand. “I know, and I’m so sorry.”

  “You seem to be saying that a lot tonight.”

  “Well, I guess I have a lot to be sorry for. But I mean it. And I should have told you sooner, but…” Alexander hesitated. Should he tell her the truth or just some version of it?

  “What is it, Alexander? I can handle it, whatever it is.”

  “Well, I don’t know how to say this, and I don’t want you to run or anything…” He paused, unsure of what to say.

  Olivia looked at him, anxiously waiting for what words were about to come out of his mouth.

  “You see,” he exhaled. “My best friend when I was little, her name was Olivia, too.” He decided against telling her the truth, at least for the time being. “And I didn’t want Adele to know that you had the same name as her. I didn’t want you to think the only reason I’m dating you is because of your name. And Adele knew my other Olivia and hated her. She was so jealous of her because I would always spend time with her instead of Adele.”

  Alexander looked at Olivia, trying to gauge her reaction. “Alexander, you could have told me. It’s not that uncommon of a name. Hell, my first name is
Sarah anyway. Not Olivia.”

  “I know. But the way Adele was looking at you, I was just worried she would do something spiteful. And I wanted to protect you from that. I will always protect you, angel.” Alexander tilted Olivia’s chin up, staring into her deep, dark eyes.

  “Alexander, you can’t always protect me. But you can just be honest with me. That’s all I care about.”

  “And I will. I promise. From now on. I will be honest with you.” Alexander regretted those words the minute he uttered them, knowing that keeping the truth from her was just as bad as lying. But he was doing it to protect her. “So, do you forgive me?”

  She thought about it as she studied his vibrant green eyes. She exhaled. “Yes.”

  Alexander grabbed Olivia around her waist, pulling her body flush with his, crushing his mouth to hers. It was a fevered, passionate kiss, tongues dancing, communicating how much they had missed each other during their one week separation. Olivia’s body was on fire from the closeness of Alexander to her once again, his mouth pressed against hers. She grabbed his head, running her fingers through his hair, not caring that people roaming the streets were whistling at them.

  Alexander pulled away, grinning. “God, I missed your lips, Love,” he whispered against her neck as he gently grabbed onto her hips, lifting her up and playfully spinning her around before planting her feet back on the ground.

  “I missed you too, Alexander,” she said, completely breathless from that kiss.

  “Want to come back to my place? You can see Runner.”

  “Well, as long as I can see Runner. If not, you’d have to provide some other sort of incentive for me.”

  “Oh, Miss Adler,” he said, leaning toward her ear, his husky voice sending shivers throughout Olivia’s body. “I can definitely provide some sort of incentive.” He pressed up against her and she gasped at his erection. He nibbled on her ear lobe and neck, making Olivia almost lose her balance.

  Alexander held onto her hips, helping to steady her. “Is that a yes, Love?”

  “Yes,” she breathed out, her mind reeling from the overwhelming feelings coursing through her body from Alexander’s touch. “Always. Yes.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  LET LOVE IN

  ALEXANDER slammed Olivia against the back wall of the elevator when they got to his building after leaving MacFadden’s. He had been thinking about those lips ever since he got a sweet taste earlier that evening. He devoured her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers. The kiss wasn’t gentle. It was greedy.

  Alexander lifted Olivia, his hands on her ass, and she wrapped her long legs around his mid-section, feeling his erection. “God, angel. I want you so bad right now.” He dove in for another impassioned kiss, groaning. The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival on the twenty-fifth floor of Alexander’s building.

  Olivia walked out of the elevator into the foyer. Alexander punched a five-digit code into the keypad and the solid black door buzzed, sliding open and allowing them access to his home.

  “Additional security is never a bad thing, Miss Adler,” he said, smiling down at her. “Come, let me show you around.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her into the living room.

  Olivia looked around, astounded. The penthouse was gorgeous. There were floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the open floor plan. The formal dining room was to the left, leading to a gourmet kitchen with all state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances. To the right was a long corridor leading to his home office and den. Immediately in front of Olivia was a palatial living room. It boasted a large black couch, matching love seat, and a pair of bright red wing-backed chairs next to a gas fireplace. The view from behind the couch was amazing, the lights of boats twinkling on the water twenty-five stories below.

  “Runner!” Olivia exclaimed when he came pummeling down the hallway. The dog nearly knocked her over, showering her with his affection.

  “Can I interest you in a glass of wine, Miss Adler?” Alexander asked, his tone sensual. The timbre of his voice made Olivia gulp. She released Runner and shook her head, staring into his deep green eyes.

  “Good, because I have other plans for you.”

  “What did you have in mind, Mr. Burnham?” she asked innocently.

  He laughed. “You’ll see.” He grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to the master bedroom suite, leaving Runner behind. There was a short hallway before opening into a large room. An oversized four-poster mahogany bed sat in the center of the room with a writing and sitting area by the windows. The fireplace was directly across from the bed.

  “Olivia, Love, are you on contraception?” he asked, pulling her toward the bed.

  Olivia blinked, unsure she heard him correctly. That was not what she expected to hear come out of his mouth.

  “Answer me,” he demanded, staring down at her.

  “Yes. I’m on the pill.”

  “And you’re good at taking it.”

  Olivia became irritated. “Yes. Of course I am. I’m not a child.”

  A smile crept across Alexander’s face. “Good. Men need to know these things, Love. Because I fucking hate condoms. I’m clean, don’t worry. I can show you a copy of my last test results if you want.”

  Olivia looked at him, butterflies dancing in her stomach, excited about what they were about to do. “No. I believe you. I’ve only ever had sex using condoms before, but my last results were clear, too,” she replied.

  “Good,” he said before changing his expression, the atmosphere in the room becoming heated. “I want to see you naked, Olivia,” he said in a deep voice.

  “Y-yes,” she croaked out. He made her hair follicles stand on end whenever he was nearby.

  “Sit down,” he growled.

  Olivia hesitated.

  “I said, sit down.” His green eyes were all aflame with desire and tenderness. It was an intoxicating combination. Olivia immediately sat down on his soft bed. He winked, picking up her left foot. He removed her heel and kissed the instep of her foot, slowly dragging his tongue across her arch, sending shivers throughout her body. He did the same to her right foot.

  “Stand back up.”

  She obeyed, their bodies practically touching. She could feel his erection growing. Electricity coursed through her veins and she felt her body temperature rise from his stare. His eyes stayed locked on hers. She couldn’t look away even if she tried. “Lift your arms, Olivia.”

  She did as he commanded, remaining completely speechless in his presence, and he lifted her tank top over her head. He trailed kisses from one side of her neck to the other, tasting her silky skin as his mouth made its way down to her black lace bra.

  “I like this bra,” he murmured against her skin. “I’d like to see you in this more often.” His fingers dipped into the bra and, finding her nipple, Olivia let out a low moan. He instantly fell to his knees and planted kisses down her stomach, dragging his tongue across her skin, holding onto her hips. “Do you have any idea what you do to me, Olivia?” he asked, his eyes still never leaving hers.

  Sensation overwhelmed Olivia’s entire body from the simple act of his lips on her stomach. She could barely form a coherent thought as her breathing increased.

  “Answer me, Olivia,” he said sternly.

  “Yes,” she exhaled. “I do.” She was about to come unhinged as he continued tracing circles around her belly button with his tongue. She wanted that tongue on other parts of her body.

  “And why is that, Olivia? Do I have the same effect on you still?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He removed his hands from her hips and slowly unbuttoned her jeans. He raised his eyebrows as if asking for her permission.

  She nodded quickly, biting on her lower lip. Olivia’s heart raced with anticipation, her breathing heavy.

  “Well, do I?”

  Olivia nodded. She didn’t know how much more she could take. “Yes. Yes, Alexander.” She looked down and watched him slowly lower her skinny jeans down her legs, helping her step out of
them.

  Alexander raised himself up and stepped back to admire her bra with matching black lace panties. “God, Olivia. Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” He ran his hand through his hair, unable to control his desire for the woman standing in front of him. He couldn’t remember ever being as aroused as he was at that moment.

  She lowered her head, blushing, before returning her eyes to his. He rushed to her and claimed her mouth, wrapping his arms around her body. His kiss was needy. It was hungry. It was passionate. It was hot, Olivia thought. He deftly unhooked her bra and it fell to the ground. One of his hands went to her head, fisting her hair and pulling her head back, while the other tightly held onto the small of her back, pressing her to him. Their tongues did a delicate dance, communicating to each other exactly how desperately they wanted and needed each other.

  He removed his hand from her back, sliding it down her side, and gently felt in between her legs. She moaned, letting him know it was okay to go further.

  “Olivia, you’re so wet.” He stroked her through her panties.

  “I know,” she said breathlessly.

  “What do you want me to do, Olivia?” He looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

  “I want you…” Her thoughts were a complete haze. They were all over the place. She would do anything to just keep that man touching her. She needed his touch. She craved his touch. She would die without it.

  “You want me to what, Olivia?”

  She looked into his eyes and grabbed his hand, shoving it in her panties, hoping he would get the hint about what she wanted.

  “I want you to say it,” he whispered in her ear as he started to tease her clit. “Say it, Olivia.”

  Her breathing grew heavier as he continued to torture her. She felt as if she was about to explode.