by Diana Nixon
Take me now, the girl said to her boyfriend.
Every muscle in my body tensed, obviously knowing what was about to happen next would make me regret coming here with Leo.
Tell me more about what you want me to do, baby.
Oh, crap…
I want you inside me, deep and hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck; he lifted her up and took her to the bed behind her.
When they fell on the bed, I desperately wanted to ask someone to pause the movie and let me leave the theatre. I looked around carefully, but everyone, except for me, seemed to be really interested in what was going to happen next. Including Leo.
He was wearing the most irritable expression in the world. The one that said, ‘Let’s see how far this goes, Liv. Enjoy the view.’
The sound of the clothes tearing to pieces brought my attention back to the screen. The girl was now almost naked, except for the only piece of lingerie that covered her pussy. Her date reached for the waistband of her thong and pulled it down her legs.
I swallowed, dying to look at anything but what was happening on the screen.
Fuck me, she whispered, bringing his lips back to hers.
With pleasure, he said back to her. He kissed her deeply, and she moaned in response.
God, could this get any more awkward?
I didn’t want Leo to see how much I wanted to leave. So, I pretended I was really into the movie we were watching.
Damn, the guy obviously knew what he was doing. His lips and hands worked their way to the girl’s most sensitive parts, including where I hadn’t been touched in what felt like forever.
A predatory desire to be her now ran through me.
The air in the hall suddenly felt hotter, as well the blood that started running faster through my veins. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest.
The next thing I knew, Leo took my hand and put it on his leg. Very close to where I could very clearly feel his cook getting bigger.
Oh. Fuck. No.
I tried to free my hand, or maybe I thought I tried to free it. Because minutes ticked by, and my hand was still where Leo placed it, covering it with his palm. I swear I could feel the veins beneath my touch pulse. As well as the barely tangible moves of his manhood that were so hard to ignore.
“Breathe, Liv,” he whispered into my ear.
“You are so dead, Mr. Cohen.”
He chuckled and squeezed my hand a little, making my every desire to kill him right then and there hit the roof.
Which means by the time the movie ended, I counted seconds until the moment we would be out and away from the witnesses who could see me killing him with my bare hands.
We walked down the rows of people who stayed to discuss the movie. By the way, the bedroom turned out the first place where the couple had sex. Next followed the shower cabin and then the kitchen table, and then the floor and many other places that seemed to never stop changing.
Right after we were out, a man I didn’t know approached us.
“Leonel, I’m glad you’ve accepted my invitation after all. Hope you enjoyed the movie.”
“I sure have,” the asshole said, still holding my hand in his. He didn’t let it go neither when the movie ended, nor when we stood up to leave the theatre. I felt like I was entrapped by him. Which made my hate for him grow to the size of the universe.
“What about your date?” The man asked.
“It was very…entertaining,” I said with a forced smile. It was hard to find a proper word to describe what I thought about the movie. “Did your wife like it?” I remembered Leo mentioned the man was his client, which meant his marriage was about to end.
“She said she wanted a divorce right after she saw the movie for the very first time.”
“I think I saw her here tonight,” Leonel said.
“Oh, yes. She was here. Just to remind me about the divorce.” The man smiled. “Anyway, it was nice to see you guys. Enjoy the night.”
Perfect words to end this stupid show.
“See you on Monday,” Leo said.
“I wish I could say I’ve changed my mind about our meeting, but my wife has always been too stubborn.” He patted Leo’s shoulder and went back to the theatre.
I pulled my hand out of Leonel’s. “You knew the movie would be all about sex!”
“I didn’t know, Liv. I swear.” He took a step back as if afraid I would slap him in the face or something.
“Liar. You did this on purpose.”
“On purpose? Really? What in your opinion did I want to prove with this movie? The fact that you and I want each other? Or maybe the fact that you haven’t had sex in a long time?”
“How dare you?”
“Tell me I’m wrong. But I won’t believe a word.”
“How do you know I haven’t had sex in a long time?”
He smirked and stepped closer to me again. Very close. So close I could feel his breath tickle my face.
“I could kiss you and show you everything you are missing by pushing me away. But I doubt I can stop at one kiss only. And this street is the last place in the world where I would like to see you naked.”
I clenched my teeth in fury. “You…” All the words flew out of my head when he leaned closer to my lips and almost touched them with his.
“Did you want to say something?” His eyes searched mine. My heart started to race.
Slowly, he put his palms on my back and they slid down my skin, leaving burn marks everywhere they touched me.
Fuck, I should have chosen a different dress to wear.
I could see the challenge in Leonel’s gaze. He was testing me, again. Only he didn’t know I was here to test him too. Two could play that game, and I wasn’t going to be the loser.
I put my palms on his chest and let them travel up and all the way to the back of his neck. My lips brushed his. Our bodies were as if glued to each other and I could feel the movement beneath his pants.
“If I decide to let a man inside me, you’re gonna be my last choice, Mr. Cohen.”
Chapter 8
Leo
Fuck, I wanted her. So bad I was about to humiliate myself by coming from the closeness of our bodies. Her lips looked like strawberries that I wanted to sink my teeth in and drink every sweet drop of juice they contained.
I wanted everything about her. Right now. In the back seat of my car, and then in my bed, all night long, until there was nothing else for her to say to make me believe what we did was wrong.
But all of a sudden, her words become a splash of cold water.
If I decide to let a man inside me, you’re gonna be my last choice, Mr. Cohen.
“Why so, Miss Lambert?” I asked, still holding her in my embrace.
“Because…” She traced a line beneath my lower lip with her finger and then looked me in the eye. “You always get what you want. But not this time. Besides, sleeping with another assistant would be such a cliché. Don’t you think so?”
“Cliché or not, you’re gonna be mine. In every meaning of the word.”
She smiled and pushed me away slightly. “Sometimes you get what you deserve, Leo.”
It was the last thing that she said to me that night. I didn’t know how to interpret her words. I honestly believed we were on the same page. Especially when I saw the dress that she had chosen to wear to the premiere. It was a provocation, as well as a call for action.
But in the end, I got nothing but her quiet ‘See you tomorrow’ at the end of the night that promised to end in a completely different way.
Our ride back to her place was in silence. I knew she was thinking something, probably considering the idea of leaving the job she just got and never seeing me again.
I didn’t dare to interrupt her thinking, afraid my assumption would become real.
I didn’t want her to leave.
I wanted her to stay. Even if that was for work only.
I just couldn’t imagine starting a new day without her. I kind of got
used to her piss-me-to-the-bone attitude and her constant attempts to shoot me down. Or maybe I was simply obsessed with her. Whatever she did or said, I wanted more of it. Crazy? Maybe. But the fact that I wanted her near remained.
After I dropped her off, I went home.
For the first time in years, I felt like something was missing in my life.
I had everything I ever wished for. Except I never thought I would need someone in my life so much I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her.
Women always came and left; they never stayed even for one night, not to mention long enough to make me want to marry one of them. And as little as I wanted to bind myself with the obligations of marriage, I shouldn’t be surprised I felt so lonely now.
Solitude never scared me. Until tonight…
I took off my tux and chang ed into a pair of jeans and a black shirt.
What is she doing now? Ran at the back of my mind. Is she still angry at me?
My hands hurt from the need to take my phone and call Olivia, or at least text her to make sure I would see her again tomorrow.
I looked at the clock on the wall and it showed midnight. She was probably asleep by now. Or maybe she wasn’t, but I didn’t want to push it by calling her. Maybe she needed some time alone and away from me. Just like I needed it to figure out what the hell was going on with me, and why it was so important to know that she didn’t hate me.
I really wanted her to like me. If not enough to sleep with me, at least enough to continue working for me. Because somehow, I knew I would be missing her if she decided to leave…
***
Olivia
Bella was fevering.
I knew it even without a thermometer. Her skin felt like fire beneath my touch. It was the middle of the night, but I was still awake when I heard her talk in her sleep. I knew it was a bad sign. She never talked in her sleep, unless she was fevering or having a nightmare. Unfortunately, tonight it was the first one.
“Sweetie, wake up, please,” I said quietly so as not to frighten her.
“What is it?” She asked with her eyes still closed.
“How are you feeling?”
She opened her eyes and looked at me, blinking a few times. “I think I’m a little cold. Did you forget to close the window?”
“No, darling. But I think we need to call the doctor.”
“Okay.” She didn’t even try to argue with me. Poor thing.
“Wait here, okay?”
She nodded.
I rushed to the living room, searching for my phone, and saw an unread message from Leonel. He was the last person in the world I needed right now. I ignored the message.
With my trembling fingers, I found Bella’s therapist number and called him.
“You need to bring her to the hospital,” Dr. Ramey said after he listened to me. “The sooner the better.” He said he would send an ambulance for us. So I went back to Bella’s room and packed her things in case we would need to stay in the hospital for the rest of the night or maybe even longer.
“Don’t worry, auntie, I’m gonna be all right,” she said, watching me.
I smiled at her bravery. “I know.” I came to the bed and kissed her forehead. “Now you need to get up and get dressed. Dr. Ramey’s waiting for us.” Bella liked him, and no matter what health problem we were having, he always told her it was nothing, and that he would cure her in no time flat. That’s why she wasn’t scared of him. Unlike me – a person who hated hospitals and always felt sick at the mere view of blood and open wounds.
About an hour later, I was passing the hospital hall, waiting for Dr. Ramey to finish examining Bella. He said it was most likely a virus and there was nothing serious to be worried about, but I was still on the thorn.
To distract myself, I took my phone and started scrolling down my Instagram feed. Just then, I remembered about Leonel’s message.
“Can’t wait for my morning cup of coffee made by you. I’d really want to see you bring it to my bedroom, but my office will be fine too. P.S. Don’t get mad, Liv. I’m really sorry if I went too far last night…”
Uh, why did he have to be so nice and so impossible at the same time? I never knew what to expect from him – another perky comment or an apology. Obviously, Mother Nature was drunk when she decided to give him a life. The man was a walking contradiction; everything he said one second could be easily crossed out by what he said a second later.
Still, there was something about him that attracted me. It wasn’t just about the fact that I was attracted to him physically. There was more to it.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to make you coffee in the morning,” I texted him. It was almost five in the morning, and I didn’t expect him to read my message for another couple of hours.
But he didn’t just read it, he also decided to call me.
“I thought you were enjoying your tenth dirty dream,” I said, answering the call.
He ignored what was supposed to sound like a joke. “Just don’t tell me that you want to quit.”
“It would be the easiest way to get rid of me, Mr. Cohen. But no, I’m not going to quit. I’ll need a day off, maybe a few days off. Bella isn’t feeling well.”
“What happened to her?”
“The doctor says it’s just the flu. She was fevering, and I had to take her to the hospital.”
“Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“What hospital? I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“No, no, no! You don’t have to. I’m sure they will let us go home right after the examination is over.”
“You will need a car to take you back home. You came to the hospital in an ambulance, right?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want to go home in a taxi when your kid isn’t feeling well. Text me the address, Liv.”
Ugh… I should have thought twice before sending him a message.
I didn’t want him to see Bella. What if he notices the resemblance between them? And if he’s going to take us home, what if he sees Winter’s pictures there?
I frantically thought about the pictures I had at home. Where were they? Would I have a chance to hide them before he saw them?
Damn it, the night just got a million times worse.
I looked at the door to the examination room, waiting impatiently for the news from Dr. Ramey. He showed up about ten minutes later.
“We’re waiting for the results of Bella’s blood test,” he said. “If it’s okay, I’ll let you take her home.”
“Good.”
He smiled and patted my back slightly. “Breathe, Olivia. Kids get sick sometimes. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. Bella’s gonna be all right.”
I nodded and thanked him.
“We have a coffee machine over there.” He pointed to the opposite end of the long hall. “I’ll call you as soon as I have the results.”
He left and I sat down on a chair, leaning my head against the wall behind me.
I always got worried when Bella wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t her mother, but sometimes I felt like I cared about her even more than she did. I really wished Winter was with us now. I felt responsible for everything that was going on in Bella’s life, and I was really scared to fail at being a good aunt for her. Especially now, that I was the only person she could rely on.
“How about a cup of Americano?”
I looked up and saw Leonel walk up to me. I didn’t realize it’d been almost half an hour after I talked to the doctor. Leo was holding two cups in his hands; he gave one of them to me.
“Just what I need. Thanks,” I said.
“How is she?” He took a seat next to me.
“I’m still waiting for the updates from the doctor.”
He put one arm around my shoulders and smiled gently. “She’ll be fine.”
I looked at him and saw the signs of tiredness on his face. “I’m sorry if I woke you with my text.”
“You didn’
t. I was watching a movie when I received it.”
“A movie? In the middle of the night?”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.” With his arm still embracing me, he sipped his coffee. “I bet you didn’t get a wink of sleep either.”
“What movie were you watching?”
“I don’t even remember the title. I saw nothing of what was happening on the screen. I just needed something to distract me from my thoughts, so I turned on a TV. But I didn’t pay any attention to the movie.”
“What thoughts did you need a distraction from?”
His eyes searched mine. “You. Turned out I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Me, or me bringing coffee to your bedroom in the morning?”
He chuckled. “Both actually.”
“I see.” I tried to hide my smile behind the coffee cup.
I could feel the warmth coming from where his palm was touching my shoulder. I didn’t try to push him away or tell him that sitting on a chair I wouldn’t fall and he didn’t need to hold me. I just let his closeness do its best to comfort me.
I took another sip of my coffee and sighed. “Will you be okay if I take a few days off? Who’s going to spill drinks on you while I’m gone?”
“I guess I’ll need to learn how to deal with Molly’s coffee machine. I don’t want to look for a replacement for you.”
There wasn’t anything special about his words, but somehow, they made my night.
“I can work from home like I did yesterday. At least you won’t mess up your schedule.”
“Sounds good.”
Just then, Dr. Ramey showed up, holding a piece of paper in his hand. I thought it was Bella’s blood test result.
“So I thought,” he said, approaching us. “It’s just the flu. But you need to keep her home for some time and make sure she drinks a lot of warm tea. I’ll give you a prescription for the medicines that you need to give her daily until she feels better. I’ll stop by on Monday to check on her.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
We waited for him to write a prescription. And then the nurse accompanied us to Bella.