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“I’m fine. I’m trying not to be too happy because I promised myself I’d let you and Olivia progress on your own without getting in your business. Now go before I can’t wipe the smile off my face.”
I laugh, relieved to hear her reason. “All right, I’ll see you later.”
Fuck, it feels like this day is never going to end and it’s only two. I check my phone. I want to call Olivia, to hear her voice. Only I called her the day after our first night together, the whole time telling myself it was out of concern for her. Yesterday, I told myself it was to make sure she was in bed when I got home. Really, it’s because I hate going so long without hearing her voice. Which is not the casual, nights-only way we should be. Screw it, I hit send, needing to connect with her.
“Hey,” she answers, breathless.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Moving my stuff, like a good girl.” She giggles and I swear I have never heard anything as adorable in my whole life.
I’m laughing without even being aware of it. There are people coming in and out of the small vestibule I ducked into to call her, people are staring at me, I don’t care. “Hmm...because you want to be a bad girl?”
“Yes, please.” It’s a breathy little moan.
Shit, this was a bad idea. “I’m going to try and get out early tonight to reward you.”
“I’m counting down the hours.”
“You aren’t the only one.” I give in and admit it.
“Hmmm...since you made it sound almost painful to admit, I’m thinking you deserve a reward. I’ll have to come up with a reward for you tonight. Decisions, decisions.” She laughs huskily.
“There you go being brave when I can’t get to you. I think I know what I want my reward to be.” My phone beeps with a text. Damn it. “I have to go, sweetheart, I’ll see you soon.”
“Until tonight.”
With a smile lingering, I answer the text then head back into the conference.
***
Olivia
I throw myself on my back on Rourke’s bed, still dizzy over his phone call. The way he laughed, the way he admitted he couldn’t wait to see me again even though it’s only been a few hours since he left. God, maybe this all won’t end fucked up. A glimmer of hope shines, and it’s enough.
***
Rourke
It’s just after ten thirty when I open the door to my room to find Olivia on the bed reading on a tablet. She’s wearing an old oversized T-shirt, her long hair drying in ringlets around her face and down her neck. When she sees me she smiles, her brown eyes soft. Damn, I am so fucking lucky. Then she opens her arms wide to me, and I’m in them without memory of how I got to her. I hold her close, breathing in the scent of her. Her beautiful body melting into me. Rolling her with me, I land on my back, settling her over me. Pressing a kiss into her temple. “This was worth pissing off a few people to leave early. I love what you’ve done with the place.”
I look around. She’s filled a side table with books, candles, and pill bottles, Tylenol and two orange bottles and a recognizable birth control pill packet, and a picture of her family from when she was probably twelve because her dad is in it. Damn, she was adorable then. There’s a print of Monet’s “Houses of Parliament at Sunset” on one wall and a large black and white print of the London skyline on another. There is a soft, fluffy, faux fur throw in dark purple on the edge of the bed.
“Glad you like it.” Her hand caresses my cheek. “I’ve been thinking about your reward all day.”
“Hmm...sounds very good.” I can’t take my eyes off the pill packet, then give in to the question I had. “Olivia, sweetheart, if you’ve been celibate for years, why are you on the pill?” She sighs; fuck, she blinks and the pain in her eyes is even brighter. I shake my head. “Never mind, I’m sorry. Forget I asked.” I press a kiss to her lips.
She returns my kiss, and her hand goes up to run over the frown lines on my forehead. “It’s a valid question, and I’m not going to turn into a wreck over it. For years when I was younger I had horribly painful periods, but not the cramps, for me it was sensitive breast pain. Then I had a miscarriage, I let Connor talk to me into trying. When I had the miscarriage I was so relieved, there is a part of me that can’t shake the guilt. That’s why I get sad. If I was relieved, then I should never have let him talk me into it. Anyway, after the miscarriage the cramps were off the charts, we’re talking narcotic level pain.
“I was sure something was wrong, maybe not everything passed out of me during the miscarriage, which can be an issue. Except I had all kinds of testing and sonograms and they didn’t find anything. My doctor said it wasn’t uncommon for the body to change after a pregnancy. She offered for me to do a low dose pill so I could skip having a period all together. I jumped at it.
I get a regular packet, but I don’t take every pill daily so I have enough to go through the blanks, like I’ll take four or five days in a row then skip one. So don’t freak if you look at the packet and see I’ve missed days. When I first started, me not taking a pill could be a bad thing, but since it’s been so long since I had a period it would take more than two weeks of not taking a pill for there to be something to worry about.”
I brush my lips over her forehead. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
Her thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “I’m not. It’s something I had to go through. A painful experience for sure. It taught me a lot though, and in the end I’m not sorry.”
“Every time I think you couldn’t possibly be more amazing, you prove me wrong.” She smiles, then a small hand wraps around my cock.
