“Hey,” he said softly, crouching down next to me. “Are you all right?”
I nodded against the bed but didn’t respond. He placed his hand over mine and removed it from the bed. He took my chin so I was forced to look at him. “Are you?” he asked earnestly.
I nodded again, and after a moment, he kissed me.
“Jesus,” he said drawing back and touching his lip. “You’re bleeding.” He pulled at my lower lip. “You broke the skin. Were you in pain?”
I dropped my gaze to the floor. “I don’t know,” I said. “It felt good too.”
“Damn it, Olivia, why didn’t you tell me?” he asked as if he hadn’t heard me.
My chest heaved as I searched his face. Was he mad? Why was he cursing at me?
“I have to know if I’m hurting you, or else how can I trust you when we’re having sex?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I think it felt good. I came hard,” I said and blinked at him.
He sat all the way on the floor, his back against the bedframe. “Shit. Are you in pain now?”
I shook my head, because I was still riding the bliss of my seriously intense orgasm. “Did you finish?” I asked.
He just stared at me, so I looked down and found my answer. He was hard, swollen and wet from being inside of me. I turned around and climbed astride his lap with my back to him.
“Olivia,” he protested. “You don’t have to – ” He stopped as I took him in my hand and greedily devoured him in one plunge.
I sat motionless, savoring the sensation of his thick, pulsing cock stretching me. I didn’t think I could come again, my body was wrecked, but he felt so fucking good. His hands parted my hair and pushed it over my shoulders, so it hung around my face. He kissed my spine softly. He began to undo each hook of the pink corset slowly and once it hung open, he slid his hands underneath. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, running his hands over my skin. He reached around and grasped my breasts while moaning against my back. “I love you,” he whispered.
Goose bumps ignited over me as his lips brushed my shoulder. His arms clutched my back to his front, rocking me slowly onto him. I turned my head so he kissed my cheek and the corner of my lips. “I love you too,” I rasped. He loosened his grip on me, and I lifted to turn around and face him. He held himself as I leisurely sank onto him again. With my hands in his hair, I said, “That’s better.”
He put one hand on my face and smoothed the other over my hairline before kissing me slowly. Urgency flowed from him to me, and our hips began their own dance. He touched me, circling his fingers over my clit.
“I can’t,” I protested. “This is for you.”
“You can,” he said, moving his fingers faster.
“David,” I whimpered.
“God, I fucking love being inside of you. I own you like this,” he said quietly. “When I’m buried in you this way, you have nowhere to go, no way to escape. You’re finally mine.”
He kissed me heatedly during the slow, rippling orgasm that his fingers and his erotic words sparked. It started between my thighs as if his hand there had ignited the fire now blazing through my veins. I gasped, but he held me still, forcing me to breathe into him as I threatened to float away.
We continued rocking into each other; his hand moved into my hair, and he pulled it when he came. It felt like a promise of forever, him fisting my hair and coming, holding me so close to him with an arm around my back the whole time and for moments after.
His face fell into my neck, and his shoulders swelled with deep breaths. “Are you okay really?” he asked.
“It was intense,” I whispered. “Good intense. But I don’t think I want try anal very soon.”
His arms relaxed around me, but he remained serious. “You have to tell me if it’s too much. Promise?”
I nodded.
In bed, he lay on his back, and I draped one arm across his chest.
“I like you in lingerie,” he whispered into my hair.
“Thanks,” I murmured back, tightening my embrace. I ran my foot along his leg wondering how I’d always despised cuddling. “Did you get everything done at work today?”
“Not really. It’s never-ending.”
“You work so hard.”
“For you, I’ve tried to cut back.”
“It’s okay. I like that you’re passionate.”
“I want to see you that way too,” he responded.
I smiled against his chest. “I see you have a new receptionist.”
“New receptionist and new problems.”
“How come?”
“The old receptionist is threatening wrongful termination. Clare claims Arnaud came on to her several times, and she turned him down.”
I lifted my head to look at him. “But that’s not why you fired her.”
“I know. She called to let me know she’s getting a lawyer. She’s prepared to say she was fired because she wouldn’t sleep with Arnaud and that she’d throw me in there too.”
“You?” I asked.
“She’s a fucking skank. Arnaud hired her, not me. I never touched her. But it’d be my word against hers, and I don’t exactly have a squeaky clean record.”
“What a bitch,” I bit out.
He glanced down at me and started laughing.
“What does she want from you?” I asked.
“To save face, I guess. And money, I’m sure. Fortunately, Arnaud isn’t stupid enough to fuck with that.”
I paused. “You don’t believe Arnaud came on to her?”
“Arnaud and I have done business together for a long time. We would never have gotten this far without being honest with one another. He knows I would never allow that shit in my office. Too risky. I asked though, he says he didn’t.”
I was quiet as I looked at him.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
David’s work was his life, and Arnaud was a part of his team. But Arnaud was a pig, I could tell. Still, I proceeded cautiously. “Don’t disregard her just yet. Take her claim seriously. Maybe she’ll drop it if you guys apologize.”
“I don’t like to indulge that kind of behavior.”
“But do you really want to go through the hassle of a lawsuit? One that would likely end in a huge settlement and a mark on your company’s reputation?”
“No.”
“And, honey, the way you fired her wasn’t very nice.”
He grunted and looked up at the ceiling. I ran a finger over each of his eyebrows and then over his lips, still amazed that I was lying in his bed and that I could just enjoy him. He caught my hand in his and kissed my knuckles.
“I don’t want to talk about them while I’m in bed with you,” he decided.
“What do you want to talk about then?” I resettled my head on his chest.
“I’ll probably regret bringing this up, but was it too bad at the clothing store today?”
“No,” I said honestly. “I decided I’d better get used to running into women you’ve slept with.”
His chest rose as he laughed. “I’m sorry. If I’d known all along I’d end up here, I would’ve remained a virgin.”
I pinched his arm. “Liar. So long as I’m the one who gets to keep you, we’re good.”
“Works for me.” He sat up, and I rolled back onto the pillow. “Where’s the shopping bag?”
“By the closet.”
He got out of bed, and I wiggled excitedly under the comforter as I remembered my present. He returned with the box and sat cross-legged on the bed.
“What is it?”
“I’m not going to tell you,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Open it.”
I propped myself up against the headboard and unwrapped it carefully, unable to hide my smile. In my palm was a small black velvet box that creaked when I opened it. “David,” I gasped. “I can’t accept these.”
He took the box from me and scooted closer. He removed a diamond stud, tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and slid it in. �
�Perfect,” he commented.
“David, I – ”
“I have an ulterior motive,” he interrupted, moving to the other ear. “I thought maybe if I put something pretty in your earlobes, you’d stop nervously pulling on them all the time.”
I smiled widely and launched forward, crushing his lips to mine. “Thank you.”
“I must say, diamonds suit you. There will be more where that came from.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “Don’t argue, just tell me you love them,” he whispered.
“Oh,” I sighed. “I love them, and I love you.”
He rolled me onto the bed and settled on top of me. We remained that way, kissing and whispering softly to each other, until we could no longer keep our eyes open.
CHAPTER 22
ONLY ELEVEN IN THE MORNING, and I was already wishing the day were over. Toxic co-worker Lisa had expressed that the layout I’d just finalized was ‘a good start,’ and it took everything in me not to snap at her.
Instead, I spent the next twenty minutes fantasizing about how my day would’ve gone if I’d skipped work to stay in bed with David all day. I cursed at my desk phone when it seared through my daydream just as it was getting good. “Yes?”
“There’s someone in the lobby here to see you,” Jenny said.
“Who is it? Can you send them back?”
“He won’t tell me his name,” she said tersely.
I hung up and fixed my hair quickly in the mirror before weaving through the cubicles and out to the front. There I found a middle-aged man in an ill-fitting suit that reeked of stale cigarettes.
“You Olivia Germaine?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He jotted something on the clipboard in his hand. “You’re being served with a Petition for the Dissolution of Marriage,” he said, holding out an oversized envelope.
I felt my face redden. “That was awfully quick.”
The man looked at me with hard eyes. “Doin’ a favor. Bill’s a friend.”
“Was it really necessary to come to my work?” I asked, snatching the packet.
He shrugged and handed me the clipboard to sign. After he left, I took a deep breath and turned to face Jenny, who was now joined by a concerned-looking Serena.
“Liv? Is everything all right?” Serena asked.
“It’s fine.”
“Was that from Bill? Were you expecting it?”
“Yes, just not at work,” I said, storming back to my office. I sat down and removed the papers to look them over before texting David.
Nov 20, 2012 11:34 AM
I just got served.
My cell phone rang almost immediately with David’s call. “What happened?”
“Some guy just served me with divorce papers.”
“At work?”
“Yes. Talk about embarrassing.”
“At least we can get this process started. I’m meeting my lawyer for lunch on Adams. We’ll come by afterward to take a look.”
I wavered a moment and fingered my new earring. Did I want David in my office for everyone to see? Did I care anymore?
He sighed. “You can come to lunch if you want, but we’ll be talking about Clare and boring stuff like that. You’re going to have to tell them sometime, though.”
“It’s fine,” I decided. “You can come by.”
“Good call, baby. See you soon.”
I hung up a little giddy that I was getting an unexpected visit from my boyfriend. It wasn’t the same as ditching work to stay in bed with him, but it would brighten my day considerably.
He texted me on his way over so I went to meet him in the lobby. Jenny looked about to burst from curiosity, but I ignored her from a club chair by playing with my phone.
When the elevator pinged, I looked up to see David and another smartly-dressed man through the glass wall.
“David Dylan?” Jenny hissed right before they entered.
I stood to greet them. David leaned down, kissed me on the cheek and introduced me to his lawyer, Jerry.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand.
“David’s told me a lot about you.”
I smiled and kept my head down as I led them through the cubicles. In my office, I shut the door carefully and handed the document over to Jerry.
As he looked over it, David put his arm around me and planted an innocent kiss on my lips. “How are you?”
“Better,” I said, touching his jaw. “I miss you.”
He smiled. “Me too. I booked our weekend. Pack your bags, baby, and your teeniest bikini. We’re going to Miami.” I laughed, and he squeezed me before looking up. “How’s it look, Jerry?”
“As you figured out, Bill has filed for divorce.”
“Do you know Bill?” I asked.
“Yep. Nice guy, good at what he does.”
“Will that be an issue?”
“Not at all. It looks like he’s filing on the grounds of adultery.”
“He warned me that he would,” I said with a sigh. “He’s doing this whole ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy thing.’”
“Actually,” Jerry started, “it’s unusual to file this way because it involves going to trial. That means time and money, evidence and witnesses. And since it doesn’t affect the division of assets because of Illinois’ laws, he’s likely only doing it to embarrass you. The thing is . . .”
“Yes?” David asked.
“It could work in your favor. If he’s able to prove adultery, which he will be, they may grant the divorce faster. Olivia would deny the charge, but essentially, we’d be throwing the case.”
“Isn’t that like collusion or something?” I asked.
“No, because Bill isn’t in on it. Assuming you are willing to spend the money, David, that would be fastest. Otherwise, we can try to convince Bill to agree to a no-fault divorce, which would cost everyone less but could take either six months or two years.”
“Two years?” I exclaimed.
“The court wants to know that you’ve had a reasonable separation period. That’s customarily two years, but can be reduced to six months.”
“I think you know how I feel, Jerry,” David said. “Money is no object if it means moving this along.”
Jerry nodded. “Then I’ll file the response today. Next thing would be – ”
“Wait,” I said. “You said evidence and witnesses?”
He sucked in a breath. “Yes. That’s where the shaming comes in. You should be prepared for it to get personal.”
“Let’s proceed,” David said.
“Hang on,” I said. “What do you mean by personal?”
“Well, Bill will need evidence. This might involve photographs, witness accounts, private detectives – whatever he can scrape up to prove that you cheated on him.”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “I’m not putting David through that.”
“Baby,” he said, “it might get you out faster. It would mean – ”
“No,” I said resolutely. “I won’t have your name dragged through the mud like that. What about your career, David? The firm? You’ve worked too hard to get where you are. We can do six months, two years if we have to. Jerry, how would that work?”
He hesitated until David nodded. “Like I said, the two year separation can be reduced to six months if both parties agree to it.”
“If he’s out for payback, he’ll never go for that,” David said.
“Unless I tell him he can keep everything,” I suggested.
“I doubt any amount of money will deter him from seeing us suffer.”
I smiled. “Then you don’t know Bill.” They were quiet, so I continued. “He’s cheap,” I said, still reeling because Bill had already embarrassed me, and now he meant to embarrass David. “He doesn’t know we were already planning to let him have it. He’ll go for it. I just have to convince him.”
Jerry pulled at his chin and looked between us. “I’m David’s lawyer, Olivia, but in this matter, you’re my client, too. A
s your lawyer, I can’t advise you to do that. In all my years of practice, I’ve never had a client hand everything over. If you waive the right to alimony, that’s it. No turning back.”
David’s arm tightened around me. “Jerry.”
“I’m sorry, David. We go back a long time, but I can’t advise a client to enter into that type of agreement.”
I wondered if that was true or if Jerry had reservations because of David’s history. But it was clear to me, by the way David tensed beside me, and from the time we’d spent together, that my trust meant something to him. That my trust meant more than something to him. So I said, “Let the bastard have it all.” Both pairs of eyes cut to me, but I forged ahead. “What’s the next step then?” I asked. “Getting Bill to agree to six months?”
Jerry nodded fractionally.
“It’s decided then,” David said.
Jerry nodded again with a sigh and took a seat at my desk to fill out the paperwork.
David turned to block me from Jerry with this body. He placed his hands on my cheeks. “Thank you,” he said.
I nodded and held his gaze. “I trust you. Completely.”
His thumb moved over my cheek. “Like I said, we’re in this together.”
I beamed at him.
“What?” he asked.
“It feels good to be . . . out in the open.”
“It feels amazing. I’m sorry I left you in bed this morning, but I wanted to finish in time to drive you home tonight.”
I hesitated. “Actually, Davena’s husband – ”
“Mack.”
“Yes . . . Mack called me earlier and wants to go for dinner. I haven’t seen him since before everything happened.”
He smiled warmly. “That sounds nice.”
I nodded. “I told him yes, and . . . well, I understand if you don’t want to, but I’d like you to meet him.”
He studied my face before responding. “I’d like that too, but won’t it be uncomfortable?”
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