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“Baby… it’s me,” his eyes searched hers, desperate for her to see. “I’m safe, I love you. And I know you know I love you, and it’s ok if you don’t love me back,” Colin felt his own eyes well up with tears. Olivia began trembling, breathy gasps escaped her fingertips. He gently pulled her hand from her mouth. “But please, just let me love you. I can help you hold this! You’re not alone anymore… you can trust me. Olivia, trust me? Please. Just trust me baby, why won’t you trust me. What have I got to do to earn it?”
Colin’s own breath hitched as he fought desperation.
He placed his hand back onto her cheek, his eyes implored as he leaned in slightly. His chest burned as it expanded with a deep breath, and he placed his other hand on the other side of her head, pulling her to him slightly. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers softly.
He shuddered, speaking against her mouth harshly. “Is there someone I need to pay off? I will give up everything for you, Olivia. All this shit can go! The money, the house, the bikes, my cars, everything! Just fucking tell me and I’ll do anything! Just let me in, please. It is killing me to see you like this, mi amor,” Colin groaned, feeling a tear slip out of his own eye as she squeezed hers shut and a mournful cry escaped her.
Olivia bowed her head, leaning forward to rest her forehead onto his chest. Curled in on herself, the pain as it left her body was like someone was slowly driving a knife into his heart and twisting it. “You can’t fix it Colin! It’s already done. Oh my God… oh God,” she cried out softly, her voice breaking as she sobbed inconsolably.
His arms banded around her hard as she began to rock herself side to side, small wails leaving her as she shuddered against him. He leaned his head back against the headboard and let himself join her in her emotions, feeling tears slick down his own face and wet his beard. He stayed silent, not willing to make this about him.
Even the fact that she was crying like this in front of him was a step in the right direction.
He held her until she exhausted herself half of the night, falling asleep with tears on her face and leaning against him. He tightened his hold around her, refusing to let her go.
Even though she claimed he couldn’t fix it, he was determined to fix whatever this was.Colin already knew he was the lock; he was sure of it. He was more sure of Olivia than he was of his next breath, his next heartbeat.
He just needed the key.
***
The next morning, Colin stayed in bed with Olivia, watching her wake out of sleep carefully. She fluttered her eyes open then curled in on herself for a moment, her brain trying to process out of sleep. He ran his hand down her back in great big soothing strokes, letting her take her time.
This beautiful vixen is mine, Colin thought. He was going to call Vanessa and point blank asked her if she cared if he married her. He might have to kidnap Olivia and take her to another country if she didn’t agree. He briefly toyed with the idea, but then suddenly Olivia was speaking to him.
“I don’t greet you, because you’re the one I can’t say goodbye to. And you’re also the person who, if I say hello, it means you were away for too long,” she said softly, shyly glancing up at him before lowering her eyes.
Colin’s eyes widened. Trust. She was giving it to him. Maybe he didn’t have to kidnap her, he would have to wait and see.With the thought warming his heart, he gave her that rare, dazzling smile, just wanting to enjoy her minor concession, making her squeal as he pulled her to him so she could lay all over him.He rolled her all over the bed laughing with joy, reveling in her trust.
Trust. It filled his chest and overflowed that space inside of his heart that’d ached every day for the last twenty-three years.
Maybe trust was the key?
But it still didn’t quite feel like the right key.
Chapter three
Secret Wedding
New Year’s Eve was upon them, and they’d enjoyed dressing up and going out to a rather lavish party, hiring Jonathan’s niece to come and babysit Allison so they could go to Jonathan’s friend’s mansion. Though lavish, it was a laid-back party, and he’d noticed that Olivia could dance, like really dance.
The owner of the home had observed that she had rhythm and asked her for a simple tango dance, and it broke the whole house into a dance competition which made everyone’s night.
Sometime later they were back at Colin’s house just relaxing, enjoying each other’s company, wanting to count down the New Year together watching, of all things, a boxing match. Jonathan’s psychiatrist friend, Alexander, had trained the boxer who was the finalist in the match and they were curious to see if he would win.
They were, for all intents and purposes, relaxing in the lounge with the fireplace going and sipping their drinks when it finally hit him.
Olivia was staring down into Allison’s face, as the little girl drifted in and out of sleep with her head in her lap. And Olivia was gently tracing her eyebrows, smiling tenderly at her. He looked over at Vanessa who was curled up on the sofa next to Jonathan and she was pensively staring at Olivia cradling Allison. His breath burned in his lungs as his eyes narrowed.
The key he’d been so adamant at finding suddenly clicked, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he’d learned over the years to not ignore his gut instinct.
His chest tightened painfully.
No fucking way.
“Vanessa,” Olivia’s sister looked over at him in surprise at his sudden recognition. “Will you please take Allison and put her to bed then join us back down here again?” he quipped, taking another deep swallow of his whiskey, having a feeling the night was about to turn nasty. She saw something in his gaze and nodded, carefully maneuvering Allison and walking around the bend and disappearing to where the elevator was.
Colin had already asked Vanessa if she minded if he asked Olivia to marry him, but no one knew when that time was coming. But he did, and everyone in the house could just fuck right on off if they tried to stop him, especially Olivia.
