by T. K. Leigh
Wanting to forget about the dream and everything it inferred, she drew her body closer to Alexander’s and listened to the rain fall outside.
A devilish smile spread across his face and he groaned, the sensation of Olivia’s delicate flesh so close to his waking him up in more ways than one. “Good morning, love,” he murmured groggily. “I can certainly get used to being woken up like this.” He raised his hips to meet hers. His eyes grew wide when she pushed him onto his back and placed her legs around his waist.
“Mmmmm…” he moaned as she began a slow circling motion, teasing his already hard erection. “God, I’ve missed you…”
Olivia leaned down, not wanting to look into those same green eyes she always saw in her dream, and kissed Alexander deep on the mouth, their tongues entwining softly at first. Her kiss became more needy, her hips beginning a more torturous rhythm. She needed to forget it all, and Alexander was the only one who could help her.
“Damn, baby,” he breathed, flipping her onto her back. “What’s gotten into you this morning?” He admired the beautiful woman panting below him. “Do you want me inside of you?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.
She nodded her head, bringing her hips up, pleading with her body for Alexander’s touch.
“Oh no, Olivia,” he said coyly, shaking his head. “I need to hear you say it.” He gently trailed kisses down her neckline, taking his time so he could savor each intoxicating minute. “I love the taste of your skin,” he whispered in her ear.
His voice sent electric currents through her veins, igniting her body with passion. Olivia wondered if she would always have that reaction to him. She hoped so.
Pulling back, he returned his intense green eyes to hers. An evil grin spread across his face as he teased her, pressing his pelvis rhythmically between her legs.
“Alex, please. I need to feel you.” She reached up and forced his mouth against hers, kissing him full on the lips, telling him with her tongue how desperately she wanted him.
He groaned and Olivia felt him harden even more against her, surprised that was possible. He positioned himself between her legs and traced circles with his tongue on her nipple. “Say it, love.” He teased her clit with his erection, nibbling on her ear. “Tell me you want me inside you, Olivia,” he whispered, his voice husky. “That you want to feel me slowly moving inside you over and over again, pushing you higher and higher with each motion until you can’t think from the amazing sensations you feel from my love.”
“Alexander,” Olivia exhaled, her breathing ragged from his words alone. “I want you inside me,” she panted, running her fingers through his dark hair. “I want you to make love to me.”
Alexander crushed his lips to hers, his hands traveling up and down her naked body before he pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” he asked sweetly.
She nodded, biting her bottom lip as she stared at his chiseled body moving slowly on top of her. He wasn’t even inside her yet, but she was ready to explode from the love she felt for him at that moment. Grabbing his head, she brought his mouth just a mere breath from hers. “I love you, Alexander Burnham. Forever. You’re the only man for me,” she whispered sweetly against his lips as he slowly entered her, her eyes growing wide from the total euphoria enveloping her body. It was the same feeling she felt every time she was with him, and she never wanted it to stop.
“God, love. There is nothing like being inside you. I never want this moment to end.” He looked down at her in admiration, still in shock that he had found his Olivia after all these years. His life was finally complete. She made him complete. “I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of you, Olivia.”
“Alex…” she moaned out, wondering how one man could cause a thousand different emotions to run through her body from one simple act.
“Do I make you feel good, Olivia?” He buried his face in her neck, nibbling gently on her soft skin.
Not wanting any more space between them, she wrapped her legs around his waist and moved with the gentle pace he set. “Yes, Alex.” Her breathing became erratic as she fought against her impending orgasm. “You do.” No one she had ever met in her life made her feel as good and complete as that man. She had fallen head over heels in love with him, never expecting to fall for anyone. He was perfect for her. He anticipated all her wants and desires.
Alexander picked up the pace to a quick but gentle rhythm. “I love that I can bring you so much pleasure so quickly, angel. I love that I alone can do this for you.”
Olivia closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment.
“Look at me, love,” Alexander said softly. “Please. I want to see those gorgeous brown eyes of yours.”
She opened her eyes and stared at him as he continued moving inside her, ready to explode and fall over the edge.
“I’ve looked for you my entire life, Olivia. I love you so much,” he said, the love he felt at that moment causing him to release inside her. He pressed his lips to hers, delicately caressing her tongue with his. He pushed into her once more before her body began convulsing around him, her own orgasm taking hold. He continued his slow gentle movement until the aftershocks finally subsided.
“Promise me something, Olivia.” He looked down at her, his heart overwhelmed with the love he had for her.
“What’s that?” she whispered as she ran her hands up and down his back, trying to regulate her breathing.
“That you’ll never run again, no matter what. That we’ll be together always.”
Olivia inhaled quickly, her dream rushing back to her memory. She tensed up, her heart thumping in her chest as her chin quivered from what it could all mean.
“What?” Alexander pulled back and stared at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
She searched his eyes…those same green eyes she saw in her dreams. But what was she going to tell him? That she was starting to think that he was the green-eyed boy that pulled her from the car accident? That was absurd. They grew up in two entirely different places. Realizing how ridiculous it all sounded, she softened her expression. It was all just a coincidence.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said sweetly. “Just another déjà vu moment.”
A smile replaced the concerned look on Alexander’s face and he leaned down, kissing her softly on the nose. “Come on. Shower with me.” He pulled her to her feet.
She cringed as she felt the aftereffects of their lovemaking trickle down her leg. “Gross,” she said, laughing.
Alexander glanced down and smiled when he saw his semen dripping from her. “That’s hot. You’re a marked woman now, Miss Adler.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom, turning on the shower.
~~~~~~~~~~
AFTER OLIVIA FINISHED GETTING ready for the day, she made her way downstairs, smiling at the sight that greeted her. Alexander was hard at work in front of the stove making her breakfast. It warmed her heart that he had no problem cooking for her.
“Eggs okay, love?” he asked, feeling Olivia’s presence behind him.
“Of course, love.”
He turned around. “Are you mocking my term of endearment for you? I could change it and start calling you my wench instead.”
Playfully, she punched him in the arm. Alexander faked being hurt as she walked past him over to the coffee brewer and made herself a cup. “Of course not, Alexander. I love your term of endearment for me. It sends shivers up my spine every time you say it.”
Alexander looked up from where he was sautéing potatoes. “Good.”
CHAPTER TEN
HIM
“MIRANDA, WHO’S ON THE phone?” Donovan shouted from his office into the reception area.
“He wouldn’t say. He said you’ll know.”
Donovan stilled. Fuck. It’s him. He took a deep breath and picked up the phone. “Donovan here.”
“Hi, Mark,” the voice said. “How are things going?”
Donovan had heard that voice only a few times over
the past several decades and, every time, it sent chills up his spine. It was a cold, calculating voice. He could only imagine the person attached to it. He never wanted to meet him in person. “Pretty good, sir,” he replied. “We’re getting closer every day.” His voice was audibly nervous.
“Really? Are you now?” he sneered. “Why do I feel like I’ve had to do everything for you? I found the girl for you back in July, and you still haven’t gotten me the information I’m paying you to find. That I’ve been paying you to find for years now.”
“I understand that, sir, but patience is something all of my clients need to have. If we rush things, it could blow up in all of our faces. The way I can ensure that nothing will get back to you, or me, or anyone else is to take our time and make sure things are done right. I’ll admit that we’ve run into a few complications, but everything is back on track, I assure you.”
“Convince me, Mark. Convince me that everything is okay.”
Donovan glanced around the room before getting up from behind his desk and closing the door. He hated to divulge his plans to anyone, but this guy was not someone to be trifled with.
“Well, the girl is engaged to a hot shot here in Boston. He runs his own private security company and noticed a few threats to her safety so he made sure she had a protection detail assigned to her. We were able to spook him enough to add to that detail and include one of our own people on that job to try and get close to her. It hasn’t been fruitful yet, but we’re still hopeful it will all work out. In the meantime, we’re working another angle.”
“Which is?” the man on the phone growled. “I’m quickly losing my patience and you do not want to be around when that happens.”
“We have everything in place to drive a wedge between the girl and this man she’s planning on marrying. We have information that will shatter her fucking world. Apparently, they were friends as children. He knows and he's keeping that from her. We plan on using that to tear them apart. And when that happens, we already have someone in place to pick up the pieces.”
“And then what?”
“Then we’ll hope that this Alexander fellow tells Olivia everything, which he probably will, and then she’ll start to remember things about her past, leading one of our people to the information you’re looking for. An expert we’ve hired is quite certain that she could very well be able to remember her past once she realizes who Burnham really is.”
The man on the phone thought about what he had just told him. It could work. “Fine. Keep it up, but so help me God, if you don’t get a move on, you will regret it.”
Donovan hung up, trembling with anxiety. Why did he have to get into the family business?
~~~~~~~~~~
“OLIVIA, LOVE, I NEED to get back to Texas,” Alexander said, walking down the hall from his office. His heart warmed when he spotted her curled up on the couch, her laptop in front of her.
She looked up, her face sad at the thought of Alexander leaving her again. Getting up from the couch, she strolled over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “When will you be back?” she whispered against his neck.
“Hopefully no later than tomorrow night. Now, you have fun with the girls today. Marshall is out front and will drive you wherever you need to go. Understand?”
Olivia exhaled, her frustration evident as she turned away from him. “Yes, Alexander.”
“Hey, Olivia, look at me.” He reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. “It’s for your own good. I don’t like it any more than you do, but I need to know that no harm will come to you while I’m gone.”
His voice was sincere and full of worry. Simon’s warning sounded in her head and she knew Alexander’s concerns were valid. Olivia couldn’t help but throw her arms around him again, kissing him fully on the mouth. “I love you, Alexander.”
“I love you, too. Now, enjoy your day. I’ll hurry home to you, angel,” he said sweetly, planting one last kiss on her temple.
~~~~~~~~~~
“GOOD MORNING, MISS ADLER,” Marshall greeted Olivia, opening the door to the waiting SUV. “Where to first?”
“Starbucks, please. The one by Alexander’s office building.” She climbed into the car and was soon on her way to go meet the girls at their usual Starbucks before starting their day of dress shopping.
After a short car ride, Marshall pulled up outside the coffee shop. Walking into the bustling store, Olivia wasn’t surprised to find that she was the first to arrive. Her friends were notoriously late. She ordered four coffees and found a table to wait for the rest of the girls. Sipping her coffee, she was thankful to have the extra caffeine to get through the day. She hadn’t slept much and, even then, it wasn’t a restful sleep.
“Well, if it isn’t Olivia Adler?” she heard a snide voice say a few minutes later.
She looked up from her e-reader, her heart racing as she stared into Adele’s harsh eyes. “Nice to see you, as well, Adele,” she replied coldly before returning her eyes to her book, hoping she would get the hint and move on.
Adele stared down at Olivia. She was told to be smart about what she was supposed to do today. Plant a seed of doubt, but don’t drop the bomb…not yet, anyway. “You know it won’t last between you two, don’t you?” she sneered.
Olivia looked up again, sighing. She had hoped that Adele would finally be past all that juvenile bullshit. No such luck, apparently. “Adele, you need to get over this. We’re getting married, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it from happening.”
Adele’s eyes softened. “Are you sure that’s a smart idea? I mean, do you really even know him? He has a tendency to keep secrets, and I just want to make sure that you know what you’re getting into, Olivia. Once you say ‘I do’, there’s no going back. Well, except through a rather lengthy and public divorce.”
“What are you getting at? Alexander doesn’t keep anything from me. He’s an open book.” Olivia’s voice wavered slightly at the lies coming out of her mouth. She knew Alexander kept things from her. A lot of things.
“Oh, really? Have you ever been in his office at home?”
Olivia looked at her, wondering why that even mattered. She never had been in his home office, and he was diligent in ensuring that he kept it locked at all times, even when he was in there. “Adele, the nature of Alexander’s business is such that he has to keep his work classified,” she explained, all the while wondering what he was keeping in that room.
“It’s not his work he’s trying to keep from you, Olivia. It’s something much bigger than that.”
Olivia eyed her cautiously, her heart beating nervously in her chest as her brain ran through hundreds of different scenarios. Did Adele know something? She was childhood friends with Alexander, after all. Maybe she knew more than Olivia thought. What was he hiding from her? She hated that she was beginning to doubt the man she loved.
“Olivia, is this woman bothering you?” a deep voice broke through her thoughts. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Simon standing next to her table, glaring at Adele with venom in his eyes. Olivia was surprised to find that, for once, she was actually thankful to see him.
A smile spread across Adele’s face when she heard that voice. All part of the master plan, she remembered. “No,” she said sweetly, her eyes not breaking from Olivia’s. “I was just wishing Olivia good luck on her upcoming nuptials.” Adele turned to leave before muttering loud enough for everyone to hear, “She’s going to need it.”
Simon continued to shoot daggers at Adele as she walked through the front door of the store. Once she was gone, Olivia visibly relaxed, exhaling a breath that she didn’t even realize she had been holding.
Simon turned to face her and pulled out a chair, eyeing Olivia before he sat down, almost as if he was asking if it was okay for him to do so. She nodded.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little shaken up. Who was that bitch?”
“Just someone who is jealous that I’m marrying the
man she was hoping to. But she’s only interested in his bank account.”
Simon smiled. “Money grabber.”
“Totally.” She returned his smile, finally feeling better about what had just happened.
“Well, as long as you’re okay, I’m going to get out of here. It looks like you’re meeting someone, and I can only assume Kiera will be one of them. I’m pretty sure that she’ll cut off my dick if she sees me speaking with you,” he joked.
Olivia looked at the four coffee cups on her table before returning her eyes to meet Simon's. There was a slight twinkle in his gaze that she had never noticed before. I like the new Simon, she thought to herself. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” They both snapped their heads toward the door when they heard it open, thankful that it wasn’t any of her friends just yet. Simon was right. Kiera would absolutely castrate him if she saw him standing there talking to her. And she wouldn’t even ask for an explanation until afterwards.
“Here. Take this.” Simon reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “In case you need anything. I’m always just a phone call away and willing to help out or listen. I’m a real good listener. I promise.” He noticed that Olivia still seemed to be thinking about whatever Adele had said to her. Good, he thought. It’s all coming together.
Olivia took the business card and studied it. Simon MacKenzie, General Contractor. He must be doing pretty well for himself if he had begun to work as a general contractor. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Simon waved as he walked out the front door of the shop. Olivia wondered why he hadn’t grabbed a coffee. It was a Starbucks after all. She didn’t worry about that for long as, just moments after Simon’s departure, Kiera showed up.
