Third Time's A Charmer

by St. John, Jodi

  Chapter 51

  Olivia

  We woke early and got moving. Harris could tell I was anxious. He reminded me the plane wasn't going to take off without us. We were the sole passengers.

  He packed our bags, threw them in the Rover, and I shut down the cabin. I stood in the doorway and stared. I hated leaving. It almost begged me not to most times, especially now. I was about to enter a new life. It terrified me. I take pride in the fact I am a strong woman. I have handled the cards I’d been dealt and I had done it with grace and dignity. For the most part. Now I am petrified I won't be able to handle what's about to be thrown at me. Privacy will go out the window. I will have to follow his lead on all of this. I’m not good at following. I'd always been the one in charge, but this time it's different. I like when things are done for me, handled without me having to lift a finger, but it's foreign and I hope I can learn to accept it.

  I felt him behind me, kissing the top of my head with his hands on my shoulders. He turned me around. "I'll get us back here as soon as I can, I promise, Love."

  I didn't doubt him. "I know." I said, kissing his lips.

  I turned, closed the door and locked it. I threw the keys in my purse and with a smile turned to face the new adventure. Harris held his hand out to guide me, so I took it, with apprehension and excitement.

  We boarded the plane and settled in. It was going to be a long day and I am, as a general rule, not a patient person. We talked for the first few hours, then Harris got up and pulled me up from my seat. I must have looked confused because he let out a chuckle and said, "I thought maybe we could go lay down for a bit and see if we can get some sleep. We still have about 6 hours to go."

  I followed him as he held my hand and guided me down the aisle to the back of the plane where the bedroom was. It was plush and I suddenly got a little excited. I had never had sex on a plane before. I must have been thinking out loud because he stopped and turned to look at me with that sheepish grin of his. All dimply and naughty. "I'm not that tired, are you?" He asked.

  I replied by starting to unbutton his shirt. His hands went to my hips to pull me close. "Oh God, Olivia" he whispered, "I can't get enough of you."

  Then he started kissing me. Slow and deep. His hands cradling my head now. Holding me like prey he could devour. I was dizzy with desire. He could get me from zero to wet in seconds. I backed him up while we kissed and then pushed. He fell back on the bed with a growl. I grabbed his pants and pulled them off, slithered out of mine and slowly removed the rest of my clothes while he watched. I started to kiss my way up his leg when I got hoisted up onto the bed face down. I think we entered a new realm of intimacy yesterday and I'm excited to see where this is going to take us. He pulled my hips up and spread my legs with his knee. He was kissing up my spine, his hot breath making me tremble with desire. He checked with his finger to see if I was ready for him. His mouth now at my ear, sucking and biting softly as he moved his finger in and out of me. "Tell me what you want me to do to you Olivia. Tell me." his raspy voice begged in my ear. This was the hottest thing he’d ever done to me. I was beginning to like the bossy side of him. He pulled his finger out of me and left me feeling empty. I wanted him. All of him inside of me now. "Oh fuck, baby I need you" I cried out, and braced myself. He pulled my hips back and entered me. He felt so good I couldn't contain my screams for him to take me. Harder and faster until I could feel him swell inside me. He was sexy in this moment. "Come for me, Livy!" he shouted. I did as he obeyed only to have him follow me as my name fell from his lips. We fell to the bed on our sides exhausted and yet exhilarated from this new level of passion we had reached.

  He pulled my back to his sweaty chest and whispered, "Olivia, you take me to places I’d never dreamed of. I’ll never let you go."

  I pulled his arms around me tighter and turned my head enough to press my lips to his. He sighed as I kissed him and the sound put another part of my heart back in place. Piece by piece he was making me whole again and it felt so good.

  Harris shook my shoulder gently to wake me. We were almost ready to land and he wanted us back in our seats. He was dressed already but laid with me for a bit stroking his fingers up and down my arm and back as he spoke softly to me. He was beautiful. His eyes glowed with excitement. He was home. I was excited just watching him speak. I loved watching his lips move almost as much as I loved how those lips moved on me. I rolled over with a moan. I was tired. The time difference was already messing with me.

  He helped me up and helped me dress. He made me feel so special. So loved and cared for, already. I could get used to this. He tucked me back into my seat and buckled me in. Then did his own. I looked out the window, curious. It was dark and the city was lit up. It looked like any other city you fly into at night. He started pointing things out to me and I suddenly got excited. He had arranged for a car to meet us on the tarmac. That way he could whisk me away to his castle. I was glad I wasn't going to get flung into the public eye after spending many hours on a plane. I knew I was a hot mess.

  It was a smooth landing. I stretched and saw the airport come into view as we taxied. I saw a black sedan with a man waiting by it and then the flash bulbs started going off. Good Lord. Our plane hadn't even stopped yet and they were flashing away. I felt my stomach turn and felt a little light headed. Not sure I'm ready for this, I thought…but, I want to be. I want to be there for him. I turned to look at him. Suddenly the excitement drained from his face. He looked agitated. Then he apologized to me, "I'm sorry, Livy. I thought we could sneak in under the radar. At least tonight anyway. I'm so sorry, Love."

  This was it. Time to put that brave face on that I've had to do so much in my life. I grabbed his face and pulled it to mine. "Dammit. You better be worth it!" I smiled at him hoping to elicit the same response and it worked.

  He relaxed and smiled back. "Shall we?" he asked with a wink and an offer of his arm. The door to the plane opened and airport security boarded to check our passports. Then Paul came aboard and greeted Harris and grabbed some of our bags. Harris started to lead me out the door, he stopped, turned to me and said, "Look in my eyes Livy. Focus on them. I want you with me and I'm sorry I come with all of this. If you get scared or anxious, just look into my eyes. Always tell me what you need and I will do whatever it takes. Okay?" He was so serious and loving.

  I nodded, "Okay."

  "Now smile for me Livy." He spoke low and he cupped my chin. I obliged. He kissed me and you could hear the cameras snapping. I didn't care. He would keep me safe, I was sure. We walked down the steps hand in hand. It was hard not to smile with him grinning next to me. We reached the car and he opened the door for me. I slid into the darkness with him following. "See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" He kissed me quick, pulled back and said, "Thank you."

  I replied, "For what?"

  He looked me deep in the eyes, those green orbs burning into my soul. "For being with me. For giving up so much. It's incredibly hard for me to ask, but I simply can't be without you, so again, thank you." He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips and whispered, "I love you so much, Olivia." I almost burst into tears. He knew the direct line to my heart.

  Paul drove us to Harris' house outside of London. It was a beautiful estate. So different from his place in LA. This was Old World. The house I handled was contemporary. I couldn't wait to get inside. He had told me his mother helped with a lot of the furnishings and I was betting she had great taste. Paul bid his goodnight to us as we were about to go inside. Harris was grinning and bouncing with excitement to be home. I had to tease him a little. He shot me a look and said, "I'm excited to be home with you."

  Suddenly on impulse, he picked me up and carried me into the house. It was dark and rich and manly inside. It was beautifully furnished. I started walking around different rooms checking everything out. It was stunning. I loved everything. And it smelled amazing, like rich leather and Harris' cologne. I flopped down onto the huge leather sofa and kicked my shoes off. I heard some
noise coming from what I assumed to be the kitchen. So, I went to check it out. I followed the clanking and found my handsome man pulling something delicious out of the oven. I leaned against the door jamb and watched him. He didn’t know I was staring at him with adoration. I can count on one hand the amount of times a man had cooked for me. I was instantly starving but didn’t want to give myself away. I watched a little longer before my hunger took over. I sauntered into the kitchen and wrapped my arms around him from behind. “Hi, baby.” I said.

  He grabbed my hands and spun me around. He faced me and kissed me. “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Starving” I replied. “When did you do all this?” I asked nodding to the lasagna he had pulled out of the oven.

  He grinned. “My mum stocks my freezer with my favorites. I had Paul pop it in the oven before he came to fetch us at the airport. And now you know all my secrets.” He was so damn adorable. I could be at ease with him from the very start. I was getting excited to meet his mom. Maybe this trip wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  We ate, cleaned up the kitchen and then curled up on the couch watching tv until we both fell asleep. Morning came and went and before we knew it, it was noon when we woke.

  Man, I don't know how he did all that traveling before and not get worn down. I'm exhausted. And I didn't even do anything. I needed a hot shower and some coffee before I could fully function at this point.

  I was able to escape his arms and make my way to the kitchen to make some coffee. Please tell me he had some in this place. If he just had tea that might be a deal breaker. I dug around in the cabinets and found it. My favorite coffee!

  I started the machine and watched it brew, waiting impatiently for the first sip. I was basically laying on the counter watching and waiting when Harris came in. He had that sleepy smile on. The one like the first time he walked out of my bedroom in the guest house the night we ended up falling asleep together. I loved that smile. It was sexy and mischievous.

  He got the cups out of the cabinet and the cream and sugar ready. He was quiet. He moved around me knowing I was not ready to speak, but he still sat there smirking at me. Finally, the coffee was done. It felt like an eternity to wait for what was sure to be the best cup of coffee I've ever had. The kind that breathes life back into you.

  I leaned up against the counter to take my first sip. I moaned as it hit my soul. He was still smirking at me as he stood across from me. I was able to speak 4 words.

  "I need a shower."

  He grabbed one of my hands and dragged me out of the kitchen as I shuffled behind him with my coffee cup to my lips. He led me through the living room and up a beautiful rounded staircase. Then we headed right down a hallway to the end where double doors were closed. He opened them and walked me through the decadent master bedroom. It was all dark wood with beautiful windows overlooking some sort of garden. There were rich fabrics everywhere and it stopped me in my tracks. I just needed to take it all in. It was amazingly beautiful. Harris left me there to ogle everything while he went ahead into the bath. I heard the shower start and could feel myself coming to life again. I sat in one of the chairs at the end of the bed and finished my coffee, thinking about the amazing journey that had brought me here.

  After a few minutes of daydreaming in the chair, I heard singing coming from the shower. I made my way into the bathroom. It was huge. The shower alone was the size of a normal size room. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror above the double vanity and groaned. I looked awful. I needed to seriously pull myself together if I'm going to meet the woman who put this house together. I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing and I wrapped my arms around his waist. He pushed me under the spray and went to rinse my hair. Then I smelled something familiar, my shampoo, the kind I always used. He was using it now as he washed my hair. I smiled with my eyes closed. He knew. He knew what I used and made sure it was here waiting. Wow. He is something I never imagined. My body wash was there, even the same razors I used. He made sure I had everything I needed and another chunk of my heart clicked back in place.

  Chapter 52

  Harris

  Everything was better when Livy was with me. The plane ride, dealing with the paparazzi, waking up, breathing, and definitely showering.

  I knew she was struggling with jet lag, she wasn't her energetic self this morning. I hoped she wasn’t dreading meeting my family. I am more excited than I had ever been. This is a piece of my life that has not only been missing, but honestly never been explored. I'd never had the opportunity to be this close with someone. I had a feeling though that what I had with her was rare. The other couples I know aren't the same. There was something between us that just clicked. Seemed natural, easy, light even. Everyone says marriage is so hard, but I believe with the right person it is just the opposite.

  I was brought out of my daydream when she stepped out of the bathroom. She looked breathtaking in her tight jeans and cashmere sweater. I'm having second thoughts on taking her anywhere but my bed. She knew it. She strode over to me and smiled, "Don't even think about it. I am primped and primed to meet your mother." Then she spun around looking for my approval.

  I gave her that look. The one she knew so well and she took off running before I could grab her. I chased her around the house a bit. Her laugh intoxicated me as we played our little game. She was playful and fun and so alive. It was contagious. I finally caught her. We were breathless from running and laughing. I held her to me as she caught her breath. I kissed the top of her head and still half-laughing, asked if she was ready to go. "Right behind you, Baby," she replied with a wink and her sexy smile.

  I led her to the garage. I had packed our bags and put them in the car. We would encounter some press when we left my property so I took the sedan with the tinted windows. The paparazzi was tame here. Nothing like the US.

  We arrived at my mum's after driving and talking for 3 hours. I filled her in on growing up here. How simple life was back then. She was so interested in anything I said. I swear she stares at my lips when I talk. I carried our bags in with Livy holding on to me like I was going to leave her behind. My mum heard us walk in and came running to greet us. She threw her arms around to hug me all the while talking to Livy. I felt Olivia relax and saw her eyes brighten. I can't imagine being in this world without my mother. I could see Livy getting close with my mum. They are very similar.

  We all made our way to the kitchen to sit around the island and catch up. I hadn't been home in over 6 months. We spent the next few hours chatting over tea. Olivia was beaming. Her and my mum were carrying on about anything and everything. I slipped away into the living room to make a few calls. There were some things Livy didn't need to know about. I didn't like keeping things from her but at the same time I didn't want to stress her out. All of this being out in the public has thrown her a bit. Anything else on top of that could be too much. Not saying she can't handle things, I just wanted to take care of a few things that she didn't need to worry about and would hopefully not find out about. I needed more details so I called George to see what he knew.

  Turned out the photographer's studio had been broken into. He had been in the middle of editing some of the photos he took of Olivia. The originals were still there but there was no way of knowing if the person had made copies or not. We were at their mercy now. If someone had made copies, they could release them and we wouldn't find out until it was too late. This was not what I wanted to hear. George assured me he would keep this all under wraps the best he could. He had called in some favors and assured me this could be contained. In the meantime, I had to sit and wait to see if these photos of her would surface. Oh God, it will kill her. Dammit. Why? My inner monologue continued and came to the conclusion to not tell her yet. Not until I know more. That and I'm afraid of what she'd do. I'm afraid I'd lose her already, and I can't let that happen.

  She found me in the living room staring out the window. "Everything ok?" she looked concerned.
She knew something was wrong. I'm at a crossroad. I quickly decided on the path to take.

  "I wanted to check in with George and leave you to my mum for a bit. You seemed to be hitting it off just like I said you would." I said cockily. She knew I was right and swatted at me when I pointed it out.

  The rest of the day and evening was spent comfortably around the kitchen table. My family told embarrassing stories about me and Livy soaked it all in. She fit in so well. She started chiming in stupid stuff I had done with her over the last few months. That's all it took. She was part of the clan now. The let's make fun of Harris because it's so easy clan. She had them all laughing as she told them how I tried to thwart her plan of waking me up that day and how I forgot I was naked. The stories continued into the night. Until I finally put an end to it all by taking a bow in the kitchen and bidding all a good night.

  We headed up to my room. I was feeling that pang in my stomach about keeping things from her. I had a feeling it might be worse for me if she did find out and I didn't tell her. I really don't think I can keep things from her like I thought I could. We were in the bath when she cornered me against the sink, "When are you going to tell me what's going on?" She looked pissed.

  I exhaled, looked up at the ceiling trying to gather thoughts into words. "Your photos from the studio might have been stolen."

  I looked at her now, scared of her reaction. She didn't speak. She stood there with her eyes closed and her lips pursed. I was waiting for what her reaction would be. She was too calm right now and it was freaking me out. "Livy, say something!"

  She opened her eyes and looked into mine. "I know who it was." She said quietly.