by T. K. Leigh
He exhaled loudly, running his hands through his hair, exasperated. It reminded her of Alexander. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I just want to make amends for my past behavior, and maybe telling you what I know will mean the difference between life and death. These people are very dangerous so please be careful. I guess that’s what I wanted to say… And that I’m sorry.” His eyes met hers. “I’m scared for you.” He got up and began to walk away.
Olivia watched as he strolled along the path, dodging other runners out for their morning exercise. Could she trust him? He knew so much. “Simon! Wait!” she shouted, running to catch up to him.
A grin crept across his face. He paused and readjusted his expression into a solemn look before turning around. “Yes, Olivia?”
“I just wanted to say…” Her voice trailed off.
“Yes?”
She took a deep breath. “I forgive you,” she said, knowing how difficult it must have been for him to tell her everything. The least she could do was forgive him for what had happened in the past. Maybe it would help him continue to grow. “You scared me back in August, but I’m not going to hold that grudge anymore. I hope you can move on from this and that my forgiveness gives you some peace. You did the right thing telling me what's going on. I value your honesty.” She took his hands in hers, their eyes locking, thankful that one person in her life was finally being truthful with her.
“All I ever wanted was to get to know you, Olivia,” he said sweetly. “You just made it so damn hard. You kept everyone away, and it nearly broke my heart,” he explained, his voice shaking. “I wanted you so badly, but all you were looking for was a fuck buddy. Then when this guy found out that I was sleeping with you, he came to me with a proposition and…well, I wasn’t born into money like you were. I’ve had to struggle my entire life to make ends meet. But, in the end, I know it wasn’t worth it. I ruined whatever we had going between us…”
“Simon, please…” she said, releasing his hands, glancing down at the cobblestone path.
“I just need to get this off my chest.” His unyielding tone made Olivia look back into his eyes. “The day I walked into your studio to work on that construction project, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on, and I still believe that to this very day. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what you need. I will never hurt you again. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did. That’s why I need your forgiveness. I know there’s no future for us, and I’m glad that you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I just wish that you had let me in all those months ago. Maybe things would have turned out differently.” Simon turned to walk away, leaving Olivia speechless.
As soon as he walked onto Charles Street and looked over his shoulder to make sure that she hadn’t followed him, he picked up his cell phone. “Donovan. It’s Simon. I think she bought it. You’re a fucking genius, man.”
“No. I just know people.”
CHAPTER SIX
OUR PLACE
OLIVIA CIRCLED OUT OF Boston Common Park, her conversation with Simon replaying in her mind for the remainder of her short run. It was unmistakable that he had changed quite a bit since August when he came at her with a knife. He now seemed like an entirely different person. Maybe being in prison gave him some perspective about where his life was headed if he didn’t get his act together. The pain on his face when he confessed his feelings for her was heartbreaking, and she felt bad for the way she treated him during their brief “relationship”.
Still, Simon’s warning lay heavy on her mind. She always thought that Alexander was simply being overprotective, but maybe he knew something, too. He had mentioned the possibility of Simon having a connection to Mark Kiddish. That must have been the guy who wanted to get to Olivia. Regardless, she was certain that Simon’s apology was genuine. He looked desperate and distraught as he begged for forgiveness. She couldn’t imagine what he had gone through those past several months sitting in prison, having to live with his stupid mistake.
Olivia ran down Commonwealth Avenue, slowing to a stop in front of her house. She looked up at the brownstone that she had grown to love over the years. The three-story brick building was her first home when she moved back to Boston. It was symbolic to her of finally putting down roots, but now she would put down new roots with Alexander on the other side of the city.
They had discussed what she should do with her house. After a few heated arguments, she decided to hold on to the property for a while and perhaps rent it out. The housing market had started to turn back up, but she wasn’t ready to part with her home just yet.
She punched the code into the door and ran upstairs to start packing her things. She was sweaty from her run so she hopped in the shower, rinsing off the salt that had settled on her skin. Once she felt refreshed, she put on a change of clothes and set about boxing up her life.
After several hours of going through her belongings, she heard her phone buzzing. She glanced at the caller ID and saw Alexander’s photo flashing on the screen. Crap. She had forgotten to turn the ringer back on. Hesitantly, she answered his call.
“Olivia…?”
“Yes?” she breathed.
“Where are you?” He knew perfectly well where she was, but he had no intention of telling her that he had been sitting in his office, tracking her every movement as if he didn’t have anything better to do on a Sunday morning.
“I’m at my house packing up some boxes.”
“Would you like some help?” he asked, his voice softening. “I can see if I can get some movers to come and take care of that for you.”
“No. That’s okay,” she responded, glancing around her bedroom at all her belongings, starting to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the job ahead of her. “Some of this stuff is kind of personal. I’d rather do it all myself.”
“Do you want me to come and lend a hand, or would you rather be alone?”
She could hear the hurt in his voice. “I’m sorry about this morning, Alexander. I just feel a little smothered sometimes. I know you’re just trying to keep me safe, and I really do appreciate that but, sometimes, it’s just a little overwhelming.”
“I know, Olivia,” he sighed. If she only knew what he was trying to protect her from. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to scare you off. You just have to tell me how you feel. I can’t read your mind. I promise I’ll try to not be as much of an overbearing asshole.”
Olivia giggled. “Okay. I’ll try to do better, too.”
“So, want me to come over?” His voice was brimming with hope.
“It would be a shame to waste this opportunity to put you to work.”
He chuckled. “Okay. I’ll be there in a bit. Carter and Marshall are out front of your house should you need anything in the meantime.”
“You knew where I was, didn’t you?”
“You’ll have to torture me if you want me to answer that.” There was a pause. “Until then… I love you. Always.”
His words made her want to melt into the hardwood flooring. “I love you, too, Alexander,” she replied before hanging up.
Olivia returned her attention to the task at hand and began sorting through the bookshelf in her study, boxing up books and other trinkets. Occasionally, she stopped to look at various photos from her college years, memories flooding back from all the trouble she and Kiera used to cause. She paused when an old photo album fell off the middle shelf, pictures scattering across the room. Chasing one of the photos all the way to the doorway, she was met with a jean-clad leg.
Her eyes followed the leg upward, meeting Alexander’s brilliant smile.
“Afternoon, beautiful. I brought sushi.”
Olivia straightened up and kissed him gently on the lips. “Thank god. I’m starving and there’s no food in this joint except for cat food.” She leaned down to pick up the photo that had escaped. Her breath caught in her throat and she spun around to hide her face from Alexander.
“What is it? Are you o
kay?”
She stared at the image in front of her. It was one of the few photos she had from before the accident. She was standing on a bunch of rocks on a large beach, her father behind her, holding her up beneath her arms. They were both smiling at the camera. Her hair was in two braids on either side of her head and she was wearing a long Harvard sweatshirt over her bathing suit. She caressed the photo, her finger lingering over her father’s face.
Alexander walked up behind Olivia and peered over her shoulder. “Is that your father?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied quietly.
“It looks like he loved you very much.”
A tear fell down Olivia’s face. “I think he did. I just wish I could have remembered more about him, ya’ know?”
“I know. I get it.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her back flush with his body. Guilt overwhelmed his conscience for keeping so many secrets from her, especially for not telling her that her father was still alive. He could end her pain right now if he just told her everything. He wanted to, but her father’s warning sounded in his head, reminding him that he could lose the woman he loved if she remembered her past.
“We should probably go eat before Nepenthe gets into the sushi,” she said, wiping the tears that had fallen down her face. “He’s got a thing for raw fish.”
Alexander released her, kissing her on the cheek. “Well, let’s go eat then.”
After finishing all the sushi Alexander had brought over and downing a few beers, they drudged back up the stairs to continue packing her belongings, deciding to start in the bedroom.
“I’m going to miss this room most of all,” Alexander said after over an hour of boxing up Olivia’s shoes, barely even putting a dent in her enormous collection of footwear.
She looked up from the dresser. “Oh, yeah? Any particular reason for that?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.
He stood up and strode across the room toward her, pulling her to her feet and pressing her body into his. “If I remember correctly, Miss Adler, you gave me the most amazing, earth-shattering blow job in that bed,” he commented.
His words sent a warmth through her body, her heart racing.
“The first of many incredible blow jobs, I might add.” He pulled back, winking.
“Perhaps one more for the road, Mr. Burnham?” Olivia asked, brushing her lips against his neck, planting soft kisses across his collarbone. She slowly lowered herself, running her hand down his chest before kneeling in front of him and unbuckling his belt.
“Olivia,” Alexander exhaled, staring down at her. “You drive me crazy. Do you know that?”
She nodded her head slowly as she unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down his muscular legs, his erection springing free. Even after months of being intimate with Alexander, she still got incredibly excited every time she saw him. Grabbing on to his arousal, she took him into her mouth and sensually dragged her tongue across his length.
He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation of Olivia’s tongue on the most intimate part of his body. He immediately hardened even more in her mouth.
She moaned, loving that she turned him on like that. Continuing her slow motion, she looked up at him, his eyes now open and trained on her. Her heart stopped when she saw the primal stare he gave her. It made her burn for him even more. She was completely unable to break her gaze from his.
“That’s right, baby. I love it when you look at me with my cock in your mouth.”
She moaned again, not breaking eye contact with him because that’s what he liked. That’s what made him happy and, for the first time in her life, she was with someone who she wanted to make happy.
Alexander reached down, gently placing his hand on her head, helping to guide her motions as she continued torturing him with her mouth and tongue. Nothing turned him on more than looking down at Olivia, her eyes wide as she took him into her mouth.
“Faster, Olivia,” he said softly. “I’m close, baby.” Slowly exhaling, he closed his eyes and tried to fight against his impending orgasm. He wanted it to last longer, but he knew that nothing was going to stop him from exploding in a matter of seconds. “Damn, you give amazing head.” He thrust into her mouth, signaling with his body the rhythm he wanted Olivia to maintain.
She picked up the pace in response, meeting his motion, gently licking and sucking as she continued to drive him crazy. She loved that she could make him fall apart so quickly from such a simple act. She felt him tighten his grasp on her head and knew he was about to release.
She slowly bared her teeth, pushing him to his breaking point, and he came in her mouth, shouting her name. She slid her tongue against his length until the aftershocks of his orgasm subsided. Meeting his eyes, she smiled, a feeling of complete satisfaction enveloping her. A year ago, she would never do that for anyone. Now, she loved pleasing him that way, and she didn’t even want anything in return.
“Damn, Olivia. I love your lips,” he said, helping her to her feet.
She giggled at his compliment, sending Alexander’s heart soaring. Placing a hand on the small of her back, he carefully dipped her back, kissing her full on the mouth, his tongue invading where his erection had been seconds beforehand.
“That’s the most beautiful sound in the world,” he murmured against her neck. “Now, back to packing.” She yelped when he smacked her ass, causing an infectious grin to spread across her face.
They spent the remainder of the afternoon going through her things while she decided what she wanted to keep and what she would donate or throw out. By early evening, they had boxed up most of her bedroom and study.
“Moving is more of a pain in the ass than I remember,” Olivia joked.
“Let me hire some movers to deal with the rest of it. I get not wanting people sorting through your personal stuff, but I think we tackled most of that already.”
Olivia looked around the kitchen, not thrilled with the idea of having to pack up the cabinets. “That’s fine. But what are we going to do about all my furniture? You already have everything we need.”
“Well, is there anything you can’t live without? Anything you like better than what I have?”
She surveyed her living room. “I’ll have to think about it. Maybe I'll just keep the rest of the house like it is and rent it out fully-furnished or something instead of bringing it all over to your place.”
“Great. And stop calling it my place. It’s our place.”
Olivia smiled, snuggling against his chest. “I like the sound of that.”
Alexander kissed the top of her head. “I do, too, love.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
PLANNING
OVER THE COURSE OF the following week, movers transported all of Olivia’s personal belongings from her house over to her new home, while Alexander was out of town on a training exercise with a group of his latest “mercenaries-in-training”, as Olivia liked to call them.
After returning from her appointment with Dr. Greenstein on Thursday, she decided to open a bottle of wine and enjoy a glass out on the enormous balcony overlooking the waterfront. The sun was shining and there were only a few clouds in the sky as a light breeze blew through the city.
It was the type of day Olivia loved. Normally, she would go for a walk through the city, take her e-reader, and read in the park. But lately, after Simon’s warning, she took Alexander’s security detail a little bit more seriously. Before bumping into Simon, she thought Alexander was overreacting. Now, she knew he had every reason to overreact. Someone wanted to hurt her. Simon inferred that the accident that had taken her parents from her was not an accident at all. If that was the case, maybe she was supposed to die in the crash, too. She wondered why anyone could possibly think that she was worth hurting…or worse.
Her phone rang as she sat on the balcony thinking about Simon and what it could all mean. She smiled when she saw Kiera’s face pop up on her screen.
“Libby. God, I have spring fever something fierc
e today,” her friend said before Olivia even had a chance to say hello.
“Yeah. It’s beautiful out, isn’t it?” She took a sip of her wine.
“You got that right. Are you heading to the gym this afternoon?”
“No. I got up early this morning and went before going to see my therapist. I knew it would be a nice day and I’d hate to waste the afternoon sweating inside the gym.”
“What are you up to?”
“Not much. Just relaxing on the lanai, drinking a glass of wine, enjoying the view from my castle in the sky,” Olivia responded somewhat jokingly. She had a good life.
“Well, my afternoon meeting was cancelled. I was thinking of ditching work early.”
“Great. Why don’t you come over here? I could use some girl time.”
“It’s been too long, and we have to start planning your wedding!”
“Yeah. There’s that pesky detail, too, isn’t there?” Olivia didn’t even know where to begin when it came to organizing the wedding. It was still rather overwhelming. Unlike so many other girls, she never saw herself as the type to actually get married, and she was at a loss of what to do. Thankfully, she had Kiera.
“Okay. I’ll be there in twenty.”
“Sounds good,” Olivia responded. “I’ll call down to the concierge and alert them that I’m expecting you.”
“Aren’t you all ‘Miss High and Mighty’?” Kiera huffed.
“You know it. My minions prefer to screen my visitors for potential security threats. It’s tough to be the queen.” Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.
“Yeah. Yeah. Be there soon. Love you, bitch.”
“Love you, too.”
Olivia opened the sliding glass door and stepped back into her new home, making her way to the enormous wine cellar just beyond the kitchen. She scanned the aisles of Alexander’s impressive collection for a good, crisp white wine. Her eyes settled on a nice Sancerre and she grabbed it before heading back to the kitchen.
