by Lyla Grace
The turn of events has me baffled. It’s my turn to stutter now. “I…um…yeah. I…I’ll save you a dance.”
“Good. See you in a couple weeks,” he says. A soft kiss on my cheek, and he heads out the door.
“What the hell did I just interrupt?” Becca asks, bringing me back to reality.
“I have no idea,” I tell her. My hand touches my cheek where his lips just were. “He was….” I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “What did you stop by for?
“Michael wants to see the final presentation for the gala by end of day,” she tells me.
I take a deep breath, trying to slow my quickened pulse. “Well, we better get to work, then.”
Chapter 24
Landon
Chase’s deep laugh is irritating me to no end. It’s been going on for five minutes already. And every time I think he’s going to stop, he starts right back up again. Sometimes I wonder why the hell I keep him around.
“Please tell me you’re not serious,” he says between bouts of laughter.
“OK, laugh it up,” I say.
“Believe me, I am.” He sobers for a moment. “I thought it wasn’t worth the fight?”
“Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Life with Livie, good or bad, is a hell of a lot better than life without her,” I say.
“So that Ashlynn chick…she’s available?” Carter asks.
“Carter, you couldn’t handle her if you tried,” I say with a laugh.
Chase nods in agreement. “I give Lando credit. That girl wanted it all the time and he was the only damn person that could keep up with her demands.”
“You ever give it to her, Matthews?” Carter laughs.
Chase shakes his head violently. “No way. That is one female I don’t want to mess with.” He redirects his focus onto me. “So? What’s the plan? Are you going to shower her with gifts and woo her with fancy dinners? Or are you going to buy her a beer and tell her to suck it up already?”
“Literally,” Carter says with a laugh that earns him a shot in the arm from Chase. “Sister. Sorry,” he says as he holds his hands up.
It’s my turn to laugh. These guys are such idiots, but I sure as hell am lucky to have them in my corner. “Neither. I am going to do what I’ve always done. Show her just how damn special she is to me.”
“Hey, as long as you keep playing like you did today, I don’t give a shit what you do,” Chase says. “But if this goes bad again. I am throwing the I-told-you-so’s all over the damn place.”
“Got it,” I laugh. He slaps me on the back before he heads out of the locker room.
“Hey Carter,” I say as he slings his bag over his shoulder to head out as well. He turns to me and I hand him a business card with Ashlynn’s name on it. “Treat her well; she’s an amazing woman.”
“You sure, man?” he asks.
“Positive. Livie’s the only one for me,” I reply.
“What about this one?” Callie asks.
“No, that’s not it,” I say. I lean forward on the chair, my elbows on my knees.
“Listen, you’re my boss’s son and I would never be disrespectful…” she begins.
“But?” I ask with a smile, urging her to continue.
“But I’ve shown you almost every damn dress that was sent to us; you’re going to have to pick one.”
“You said almost. What else you got?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“All part of the Sutton charm.”
I can hear her sigh as she heads back into the storage closet. When she emerges again, she has a red dress in her hands. “Okay,” she begins slowly. “This literally just came in today. It’s gorgeous, but I thought it might be too simple.”
My eyes study the dress and I can envision Livie in it instantly. “That’s it, that’s the one,” I say.
Chapter 25
Livie
The raspy voice is a warm breath against my ear. “You look breathtaking.” My body instantaneously reacts to his presence, my skin tingly and flushed. Landon takes my hand and twirls me around, admiring me and letting out a low whistle as he does. The red satin of the dress flows as I twirl revealing the modest neckline, a high slit on my left thigh, and two straps of rhinestones that crisscross my back, the only material available between my neck and my ass. “I knew that dress was made for you.”
“You clean up pretty well yourself, Stud,” I purr. And he does. He looks like a walking, breathing orgasm in his fitted tuxedo. His skin is clean-shaven, just the way I like it, and his blond hair is a perfect spiky mess. I want to run my fingers through it. Hell, I want to run my fingers all over him. But I don’t. I can’t. Thanks to me and the disaster I created, that’s not who Landon and I are anymore. “Wait, what?” My eyes dart down to my dress and then back up to him as his words finally hit me. “You did this?” He nods, a Cheshire grin on his face. “I thought…I mean, I just assumed that Gwen….”
“My mother has great taste, obviously. But when it comes to you, believe me, sweetheart, I know exactly what I like to see you in,” he says.
If my body wasn’t on fire already, it sure as hell is now. I clear my throat. “I’m glad you came.”
His gives my body a once-over again. “Me too.” He smiles down at me, an honest and genuine smile. Not one of those awkward “because I have to” smiles. “Don’t forget you owe me a dance.”
My eyes remain glued to him as I make my way to the entrance of the venue to greet guests as they arrive. No matter how hard I try to focus, I can’t seem to think of anything except him. Though since things ended between us, not a day has gone by that I didn’t think of him, of us, of what could have been. I have spent more time then I should have the past few weeks wondering if he has found anyone else, if there is someone that makes him happy the way I used to, or maybe even happier. I wonder if he looks at someone with those steel-blue eyes and melts her the way he did me.
But just now, if I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he was flirting with me. And the dress? Why the hell would he do that? Maybe there isn’t anyone else. Maybe this whole disaster really is fixable after all. Perhaps Livie and Landon, the sequel, could be even better than part one. Crazy ideas or not, they consume me. So here I am, watching him from afar, dreaming of what might be, all the while pretending to be interested in the conversation Mr. DiMarco has roped me into.
When I redirect my gaze in Landon’s direction, my heart sinks. My mother and Madison are descending upon him. He has officially turned into prey. I only invited them assuming my father and Chase would be in attendance as well. But apparently, Chase was still trying to make me suffer for hurting Landon, so he scheduled a last-minute trip with our father. Madison is flirting with Landon shamelessly, flashbacks of the blonde at the bar in Mexico filling my mind. I can feel my adrenaline pumping. I have put him through enough; he certainly doesn’t deserve this, too. I excuse myself from Mr. DiMarco and make my way over to Landon to rescue him.
“Landon, there you are!” I can see his body tense, hearing the urgency in my tone. “I hate to bother you, but I really need to steal you away. We have a bit of a crisis that requires your immediate attention.” I take him by the hand and lead him through to the center of the dance floor.
“Crisis? What’s wrong?” he inquires.
I turn back to him, a coy smile playing on my lips. “Yes, a major crisis.” He raises his eyebrows at me. “I don’t have anyone to dance with.”
His laugh is deep, a sound that I miss desperately. He takes my hand in his and pulls me to him, our bodies touching and moving in sync to the music. As the tempo changes, he twirls me away from him and pulls me back, years of dance lessons clearly at play here. I am beaming like a fool, and I don’t care. Being in his arms again feels so good. It has been too long since I have had this much fun, too long without him.
“I’ve missed you, Livie.” His admission gives me hope. While I can’t comprehend how he can say that af
ter all that has happened, everything I have put him through, I know he means it. And it makes me the happiest person in the world.
“I’ve missed you too, Landon.” Enjoying the comfort of his arms, I rest my head against his chest and hold him close. I don’t want to let go – not now, not ever. Our one dance turned into two. Had Michael not interrupted us for a real crisis that needed my assistance, we probably would have made it to dance three.
Between mingling with the several hundred guests, I make sure to keep an eye on Landon. Any spare moment I get, I plan on spending it with him. Every time I look over in his direction, regardless of who he is talking to, Madison manages to insinuate herself into the moment. It never fails. Unfortunately, I can’t save him from every situation personally; I have a job to do. But my squad is on it. Becca, Tasha, and even Michael manage to step in to save him when I can’t.
The look on Landon’s face tells me this current situation needs to be handled personally. Whatever Sharon Matthews is spewing out of her vile mouth has Landon visibly cringing, and I need to step in before he throws his knight in shining armor routine into high gear. I can only guess what she has decided to share with him. God knows she has been throwing the insults at me at record speed tonight.
As I approach the group, Landon finally snaps. “Have you ever actually met Livie?”
“What is going on here?” I ask, stepping between them.
“I was just telling Landon how Madison would have done a much better job hosting this event. She is much more talented and socially adept than you,” Sharon states, as though there is nothing wrong with what she is saying. “Don’t you think she and Landon make a beautiful couple?”
Madison stands off to the side, looking uncomfortable at the insinuation Sharon just made.
“I’m sorry. Did I miss where they became a couple?” I ask.
“Well, I think it’s obvious they are well on their way, don’t you?” Sharon smiles.
“I…” I begin. Landon is shaking his head. My eyes wander to him, then back to Sharon. While I know that I should stop myself, be professional, the look on Sharon’s face makes me reconsider. “What I think is that you’re delusional. Landon has never shown the slightest interest in Maddie. But you keep forcing her to throw herself at him.” I turn to Madison. “And you--you had an amazing guy. Carter really liked you and you threw it all away for what? Her? You both make me sick.”
I storm away. Landon follows, my body fully aware of his close proximity. After we make it a few feet away, he grabs my arm and turns me to him, concern etched on his face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m used to it, remember?” I bark. My anger isn’t directed at him, but rather the situation.
He shakes his head. “You should never be used to that.”
“And I should never have treated you the way I did. Some things just never change,” I retort as I turn and walk away.
“Livie,” he calls after me, but I ignore him. Pushing my way through the crowd, I make my way back to the kitchen and hide.
When I emerge from the kitchen, Landon is with Gwen, managing to evade any further attacks by Sharon and Madison. I focus my efforts on mingling and making sure the rest of the gala goes off without a hitch. When it’s all said and done, the gala was more successful than I could have ever hoped. The money raised tonight will do so much to help battered women and their children.
As the last few details are wrapping up, I slip my heels off and sink into the plush couch in the banquet facility foyer. I close my eyes and give myself a mental pat on the back for a job well done. Lord knows that despite my best efforts, Sharon will never throw a compliment my way. Perhaps I should be used to this by now. And to a degree, I am. Her words rarely sting me like they used to anymore. But the constant feeling of having to prove myself is exhausting. If I were smart, I wouldn’t even have invited my family. But despite my distaste for Sharon, I love my father, Chase--and even, to a degree, Madison…at least when she isn’t under the spell of that wicked witch. Then I think of Landon. The poor guy suffered at their hands as much as me, if not more. Watching Madison fling herself at him revolted me; I can only imagine how it made him feel.
A strong hand on my thigh tells me everything is going to be okay. I would know that touch anywhere: my knight in shining armor. “You did an amazing job tonight, Livie.”
My eyes fly open and I smile at him. As if the sensation of his hand on my thigh isn’t enough, I look into those gorgeous blue eyes and can instantly feel my panties dampen. The man is definitely a charmer, though I don’t get why he wastes so much of it on me when he could have any woman he wants. Just as I am about to thank him for his kind words, my mother’s voice billows through the foyer.
“Landon! There you are! I told Madison you would be happy to give her a ride back to the hotel. Be a dear and go fetch her, will you?” she asks, her tone almost demanding.
Here we go again, one final attempt to push Madison in Landon’s arms. Or his bed, whichever comes first, as long as Madison gets the guy. I am about to speak when I notice Landon grinning, out of the corner of my eye. For a moment, jealousy rises inside me as I think that maybe, just maybe, he is interested in taking Madison home. But then I see it. That flicker in his eye. It doesn’t come by often, but when it does it usually means he’s up to no good. That’s why I know it so well, because I swear the only time this choir boy uses that look is when he is with me and I am the no good he is up to.
“Mrs. Matthews, I would love to.” Landon stands and towers over my mother. “But I have already asked Livie to join me for a nightcap.” He extends his hand to me, assisting me up from the couch and pulls me close to him, his arm wrapped tightly around me.
“I’m sure Olivia wouldn’t mind if you took Madison instead,” Sharon says curtly.
“Maybe not,” Landon agrees, though he is dead wrong. “But I would. I kind of have my heart set on spending the remainder of the evening with Livie. I am sure since you are both headed back to the same hotel, Madison could just ride with you. Good night, Mrs. Matthews.” Landon places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the facility as I wave to my mother, a victorious smile on my face.
“My hero,” I coo as I bat my eyelashes at him.
“More like self-preservation. I have seen enough of your sister to last a lifetime.” I arch an eyebrow, teasing him. An insinuation that his very innocent statement meant something a little more. He shakes his head at me and laughs. “Hell, no.”
“So now what?” I ask, smiling up at him.
“Now, we go home,” he deadpans. A black limo pulls up in front of us; Landon’s arms make their way around my waist and he pulls me tightly to his chest, his erection evident in my backside. “Brings back some pretty nice memories, doesn’t it?” he says playfully.
The driver opens the door for us, and we settle into the limo; his arm is still around me. I may as well take advantage of the comfort he brings me, even if it’s just for tonight. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, drinking in his scent and enjoying the closeness. I mentally berate myself again for the colossal mistake I made in leaving him. When the limo stops, I open my eyes and look out the window. The building is familiar, but it certainly isn’t mine.
“I wasn’t ready to let you go yet,” he says. “I hope that’s okay.” Still confused by all that has happened between us tonight, I nod my head, unsure of what to think or say.
Time has passed, but as we walk through the door to his condo, it feels like nothing has changed. He grabs the remote and turns on the lights and some music before heading into the kitchen. It all feels so familiar, so good. He gestures a beer toward me and I take it before making myself comfortable in “my” seat at the counter. He settles in next to me and we clink bottles before we each take a long pull from our respective beer.
“So, what’s new with Livie?” he asks.
There’s a loaded question if I ever heard one. What’s new? Well, let’s see…she realized she i
s a complete and utter fool. She has also realized too late that she made the biggest mistake of her life when she walked out that door. And the icing on the cake is that she has been utterly miserable since the moment she stepped to the other side of the threshold.
The only upside to this whole debacle is that I had time to figure my shit out. Okay, maybe I didn’t figure it all out. We are talking twenty-six years of baggage and issues wrapped up in a big messy ball. But I did let myself start to feel again, really feel without letting the fear push it away. Then there was tonight. Tonight, those feelings hit me like a ton of bricks. Looking into his eyes again, feeling his arms around me, and the utter rage and simultaneous heartbreak watching Madison flirt with him…in one moment, everything clicked into place. I loved him. I just don’t quite know how I want to express that to him.
“Liv, you okay?” he asks, his hand gently resting on my arm.
“Are you seeing anyone?” I blurt out. Dammit, Livie! Open mouth, insert foot. You would think in this lifetime I would have learned to think before I speak. Landon chokes on his beer. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t… it’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay, you just took me by surprise.” He gets up and grabs another beer out of the fridge before continuing. “But to answer your question, no, there isn’t anyone. There hasn’t been anyone.”
“Oh.” It’s all I can muster as relief washes over me.
I can’t even bear to think him with anyone else. Now that I have the answer I have been looking for, I need to decide what to do with it. I mean, I opened the door. I either have to walk through that door or close it behind me for good.
“How about you?” he asks.
“Huh? What?” My stomach begins to feel queasy and my palms are sweating. “No. No, of course there isn’t anyone.”