When Tibby had first started, she’d had more time, and she was so annoyed with my casual attitude that she told me she didn’t want to see me robbed blind so she’d look over my stuff.
She was still my main attorney, but I had entertainment lawyers who managed my contracts. They’d been picked by her.
“Well, damn,” I said. I wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“Don’t say anything. He’ll be pissed I’m tattling. It was a good thing. So, X?”
“Yeah?”
“Anything out of the ordinary happen while I was away?”
Tib had that tone in her voice she’d had at her wedding when she told me to go with anything that popped up. I sat up straighter.
“You gonna tell me what this is about?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you again,” she said.
I laughed. “That’s just a bribe, and you know it!”
“Maybe, but it’s nothing I want to talk about now.”
“Well, I’m here in San Fran with a lovely lady I met on a plane.”
“That is not out of the ordinary. You meet women everywhere.”
“Then I guess I have nothing to report, oh taskmaster,” I laughed again.
“You’re so stupid sometimes,” I could hear the huff of breath and knew she was rolling her eyes. “Please be careful, OK?”
“You saying that as my lawyer or my friend?”
“Both. Let me know when you get back.”
She hung up.
Laughing a little, I hung up the phone.
“I’m surprised you told her about me, even indirectly,” Olivia said.
“I tell Tib everything. But no worries, because she was too busy giving me hell over everything else she’s missed by being away,” I laughed again. “She’s so funny. Sometimes I feel like she can’t figure out what to give me grief over first.”
“Do you really take that much management?”
“I’m pretty good with my own business stuff, but Tib is a lawyer, so she sees everything in terms of minimizing risk, and she is aware that being famous and having money brings a lot of risks.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I know it too, and I think she wants me to be more aware of it. I can’t help who I am, or that I’ve been successful, so I live with it. She’s too suspicious for me.”
“She sounds fearsome,” Olivia said.
“No, just a best friend and good at what she does.”
“Does she work with other entertainers? I know a lot of entertainment attorneys, and I don’t know any named Tibby.”
“Her full name is Tabitha, and she actually specializes in shipping law, so no, she doesn’t have anyone else like me on her plate. It’s a good thing too. She doesn’t have the patience for a lot of people like me.”
“You’re lucky to have her,” Olivia said.
“Don’t I know it.” I looked up. I’d felt something hit my head, but there wasn’t anything above us, outside of the roof of the balcony. No birds, nothing floating in the air. I brushed at my head.
“It feels like she’s been with me forever. I thought about having her do some web and IT work for me, but she looked at me like I’d grown another head,” I added. I always wanted to ask her website questions for the longest time, and I had no idea as to why. She’d been an attorney from the moment she was accepted to law school. But the idea persisted, like a lost memory, or a dream.
“I imagine you’ve got a good team in place,” Olivia said.
“Thanks to Tib, again,” I said. “So you coming with me to this benefit thing?”
“You want me to?” Again with the gaze over the coffee cup. It was intoxicating.
“I do. I’d like to be discreet, though.” I hoped I wouldn’t offend her.
She laughed out loud. “Then perhaps you need to keep your hands to yourself, Mr. XTC!”
I stared. Was she complaining? Then I saw her expression. “Well, it’s hard when I am with such a fine woman like you, Ms. Livvie, but I suppose I can try.”
“I’m not the one who‘ll have fans crying,” she was laughing harder. “Sitting in mourning, even,” her laugh increased, and she set down her coffee cup.
“Are you making fun of me?” I mock-growled.
“No, no,” she waved a hand at me, still laughing. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“Good thing,” I said. “I am a big deal, I’ll have you know.”
“Oh, I know! I am well aware of my good fortune!” She laughed, even more, when I threw a strawberry at her. She caught it and popped it into her mouth.
The sight of her lips as she ate the strawberry drove all other thoughts from my head. I stood up and pulled her from the chair, snuggling her close to me so I could lean down and kiss her.
She tasted of the bitter and sweet taste of fresh strawberries, and it drove me wild. I swept her into my arms and walked through the balcony door sideways, holding her close to my chest. Her arms came up around my neck, and she pulled me close to kiss me.
With her clutched to me, I could feel her heartbeat, and it was as fast as mine, thundering like a drum. I devoured her mouth, wanting to get lost in the sensation of sweet fruit and sunshine.
Whatever I’d been planning to do this morning, or not do, or whatever reservations I had—they were gone. I headed to my bedroom. I didn’t expect this, but since she was here, in my arms, and kissing me as enthusiastically as I kissed her, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
No way.
As I walked into the bedroom, I laid her on the bed carefully. She sat up, keeping one arm around my neck, and kissed me as though her life depended on it.
Shit. Shit shit shit.
“Hang on, babe,” I said. I went to the bathroom and dug through my bag. Thank God I’d brought them with me. I’d hesitated when I’d packed. They were a staple in my toiletry bag, but I’d been unsure about Olivia.
I came back and placed the small silver packet on the nightstand as I slid myself onto the bed and into her waiting arms.
“Missed you,” she murmured into my lips, and then she didn’t say anything else because I kissed her as though my life depended on it.
I ran my hands down her body, and she felt so warm, so good. Her hip curved sweetly into my hand, and I reached around and felt her ass. That felt even better. I’d watched her as she walked away once we’d gotten to the airport the first time we’d met, and the slight sway of her ass hypnotized me. To feel it in my hand, with only the striped PJs between us made me even harder.
She put a hand on my chest and pushed me away gently.
I was slightly dazed, and just about to ask her what the hell, when she pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the floor.
She was wearing nothing underneath, and her breasts rose and fell as she pulled me back to her with a greater ferocity than she’d done before. I reached up and cupped them, and as I felt her nipples, she moaned into my mouth.
I had to take a moment because that sound with the feel of her nipples hardening in my hand nearly made me come.
How had this quiet woman sent me to the edge like this? I’d never felt this before in my life.
I slid my hands down to the waist of her PJ bottoms, but she stopped me.
“No,” she whispered, looking at me like she could see into my soul. “I want to see you,” as she pulled my shirt up.
I leaned back and took it off, letting it fall wherever. I let my head fall back as she sat up and kissed my chest, little small nipping kisses, taking the time to run her tongue over my nipples, scraping with her teeth.
I nearly saw stars.
“Oh my God, Ms. Livvie,” I muttered. I pushed her back so I could offer the same attention to her.
She let her head fall back, and as I glanced up at her, I could see the expression on her face. The idea that I was the one who put it there inflamed me and spurred me on.
Her eyes still closed, her hands drifted to my pants and tugged on them. I didn’t need another hint. I moved away from her, whi
ch made her open her eyes.
So she watched as I undid my pants and let them fall from me. Like her, I wore nothing underneath.
“Oh, my,” she breathed. “You’re good enough to eat,” she finished.
“If you insist,” I crawled back onto the bed, stopping before I fell on top of her and devoured her. “But I think you are still wearing too many clothes, miss.”
Without taking her eyes off me, she slid her PJ bottoms down, and my breath caught.
Olivia’s skin, flush with what we were doing, practically glowed. I’d never seen a more beautiful woman in my life.
And she was mine.
Where had that come from?
Shut up, I told myself. Not the time.
I crawled up her body and settled myself on top of her. She fit, she felt right. I could feel my tenuous control beginning to slip.
“Hate to admit it, but you’re driving me wild, woman. I don’t know how much teasing I can take,” I said. It was true. She strained all my normal levels of control.
Olivia moved underneath me, causing my cock to get even harder as it moved along her body. Not sure how that was possible, but that’s what it felt like. I could feel a lightness in my head.
“Well, you’re not alone. Why don’t you put that thing on,” her hand waved in the direction of the nightstand, “And we’ll stop teasing each other?”
Never had any words been sexier or more enticing. I reached over and leaned on an elbow to rip open the packet. I put it on the head of my cock, and her warm hand covered mine as she rolled it down.
Her hand on me made me tremble. I slid a hand between us and felt her. She was as excited about things as I was, which made me feel amazing.
“I don’t know if I can—” I said in a rush. I wanted this to be good for her, and she was making me so crazy that—
“I don’t want you to,” she answered me, kissing me and stopping any further words.
None were needed. We both knew what we wanted. What I’d wanted since I’d met Olivia on the plane, her strength and her weakness on full display.
I moved my hand, and she put her arms around my neck, bringing me closer to her.
Carefully, sweating, I eased into her. Her legs opened further, and her hands went down my back to my ass, bringing me into her even more.
“Ohhhh…” she moaned, breaking off our kiss.
“More of that, all you want,” I ground out, starting to move.
What I wanted was to pound into her until she screamed my name, until we both came a hundred times over, and collapsed, unable to move.
I wasn’t sure I’d make it that long, but I concentrated on trying.
As I moved, she gripped my ass harder, her nails digging into me a little. I liked it, liked it even more as she wrapped her legs around my waist.
My hands went back to her breasts, and I played with her nipples as I kissed her. I wanted her to feel that everything I could touch was getting everything I could give. I wanted her to feel fulfilled.
Complete.
Just as I did.
Olivia
I was going to die. Xavier moved carefully, almost slowly, allowing me to feel every inch of him, every bit, as he went in and out of me. It was the most amazing, delicious thing I’d ever felt. Never, ever with anyone else had sex felt like this.
Certainly not the first time, either.
His hands palmed my breasts, taking the time to pinch and twist to the point where even the slightest breath sent me nearly into convulsions, and his mouth moved in harmony with his hands and his lower bits.
Lower bits…I would have laughed at myself if I weren’t dying of pleasure.
His dick. His cock. I could see why his exes all got bitter. Who would want to give this up?
He increased the tempo, and I clutched him harder to me.
Jesus, could it get better?
It could.
It did.
Slowly, the bastard, he went faster, but at his pace, ignoring the fact that I was dying over here.
Finally, he placed his hands on either side of me, and lifted himself up, looking into my eyes. Then he moved, and this time, he went faster and faster, not bothering to take his time. His thrusts were hard, and each one seemed to drive me further into the bedding.
I wanted it. I never wanted him to stop.
I wanted to look away, to close my eyes, to close out the naked feeling I could see in him, but I was locked into his gaze. I knew that my own joy at this shone out of my eyes, and I didn’t care.
I wanted him to see it. To give him back what he was giving me.
My hands let go of his ass, which was kind of a shame, because it was marvelous, and reached up to his arms, straining under his efforts. I held his wrists, letting my fingers curl around each one. I could feel the muscles and every hair on them.
He stopped for a moment and deliberately lifted up one hand and then the other, taking my hands under his. Leaned down, and kissed me. The slight motion drove me crazy, and I moved, wanting to be closer to him.
Without warning, he started to move again, even faster than before. I felt like I was on the back of a wild stallion, hanging on for dear life.
I was on a stallion, all right. I didn’t even have the breath to giggle.
His thrusts were even more intense, and I could see a sheen of sweat on his forehead. My palms were sweaty as we held hands and he took us to the edge.
As we fell over it together, he never took his eyes from mine.
“Olivia…” he whispered.
I couldn’t speak. He lowered himself onto me, and I wrapped my arms around his back, keeping my legs twined around him.
I didn’t want to let him go.
6
Xavier
I watched as Olivia chatted with someone at another table. We’d come to the benefit together, but she sat at the head table as my plus one, and there had been a lot of whispering—or maybe I’d just noticed it more.
Once she’d told people what she did, I could see the assumptions being made—that we were there for business. And Olivia knew how to do business. She was pleasant to me, but nothing like she’d been the past two days. No touching, no kissing, nothing.
Which was what I wanted, right?
I turned my attention back to the guy in front of me. He was on the board of directors of the Y, and I liked him. I just had no patience for anything normal right now.
Anything that had to do with something other than Olivia and whatever this thing between us was.
We’d gotten up, and she’d poured herself more coffee, and then shortly went back to bed. All the plans for the morning were gone. Since the benefit was early afternoon, it had been time to leave before I was ready to...but that was what I was here for. Raise money.
Focus, X.
Focus.
I hadn’t been able to get the song together. I’d been writing about her before I flew out, so I did some of my less explicit work, ending with Trying Again. It was a crowd favorite, especially with this crowd. For all the money and polish here, I knew that a lot of the people had come from pasts like mine, and the Y had saved them.
A lot hadn’t, but since they donated their money, I didn’t judge.
Olivia drifted over to me, and I marveled again that such a beautiful, grown-up, non-groupie wanted to be with me.
Maybe I should be marveling that I wanted to be with her? She wasn’t my usual type.
Before I could get into that more, she’d joined us.
“Hey,” she said to me.
“Hey. Olivia, this is Paul Catterton. He’s on the board of the Y.”
She held out her hand to shake his. “Olivia Meroux. It’s a pleasure. This is really a wonderful event, and I understand it raises a lot for the organization,” she ended with a smile.
Paul smiled back. “It does, but honestly, we can’t take a lot of credit for that. Having Xavier here every year has something to do with it. People love to see him, and hear his story.”
/>
I shrugged as they both turned to me. “I don’t know why. It’s not that different from anyone else’s,” I said.
“Oh, I don’t agree with that,” Olivia shook her head. “You’ve overcome a lot, it’s true. But you turned it into something pretty tremendous, don’t you think?”
“Well, I do, but I don’t expect anyone else to,” I said with a laugh.
“Give yourself more credit,” Paul said.
I liked him. He was a kind man, and he backed it up with both the things he did, as well as where he threw money. I noticed that kind of thing. So many people in the entertainment world said one thing and did something entirely different.
“How did you get involved with the Y, Paul?” Olivia asked.
“My family has vineyards, and we employ a lot of temporary workers. I grew up working with them, and I noticed that people brought their kids with them, and the kids had nowhere to go. So when I got to be an adult who wasn’t told to sit down and shut up,” he grinned at us both, and it made him look a lot younger, “I asked my dad why we didn’t have anything for them to do. We opened a Y in our town and arranged for our workers to be shuttled there. The rest is history,” he shrugged.
Olivia beamed at him, and I saw his shoulders straighten a little. It made me want to pull her to me and show him that she was mine, but I stopped myself.
Casual, I’d said. I had to stand by what I’d asked for.
“That’s a fantastic story,” she said. “What a great thing you did.”
“Are you involved in the Y in any way?” He asked. He’d made the switch from a guy telling a story to a guy on the board.
I could also tell that he didn’t want to brag about himself.
“No, I have to confess I haven’t. In my company, we work with the local university and bring in interns, but I haven’t done anything more. Which makes me feel bad,” she confessed.
“So how did you end up coming to this?” Paul asked.
“I asked her to,” I said. “Looking to lure more people in.”
Forgotten Wishes: Djinn Everlasting Book Two Page 10
