“No,” she whispered.
Drake’s shoulders fell, and he sighed with relief. “I didn’t think so. I paid someone to watch your house at night.”
Livvie rolled her eyes, but inside, a sliver of hope ignited. If he had paid someone to watch her house, then he had to still feel something.
He began pacing back and forth in the living room. He stopped a foot away from her. “Olivia?” He grabbed her shoulders.
“Yes?”
“Did you run out of money? Was coming here your last resort?”
“No,” she said, feeling more confused than ever.
Drake released her, stepped away, and stared at her for a few minutes before the anger returned to his eyes.
“Then my first instinct was right. You schemed and manipulated my mother into helping you come here and got her to pay you for it at the same time.”
“I didn’t,” she said defensively.
Drake stepped toward her again. “Why, Olivia?” He took another step. “Why?”
He was inches away from her face, and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Because I missed you. Because the last six weeks have been hard.” Livvie paused and took a deep breath. “And you obviously didn’t miss me, so I’ll go.” She sniffled back tears. “I swear I’ll go.”
Drake grabbed her shoulders again and squeezed them hard. He looked her up and down, and then his eyes became even darker. His teeth clenched, and he seemed to be contemplating something. Livvie was afraid to find out what it was. And then he told her.
“Prove to me that you deserve to stay here.”
For a second, Livvie was confused, and then she understood. If she decided to do what he wanted, a little piece of her soul that had healed since he left her house would die. In the last six weeks, she wrote, slept, ate healthy again, went to yoga, and meditated daily. She worked on herself, and she didn’t want to throw all that away. Not that there was anything wrong with giving a blowjob. She liked giving them. It was the way Drake was treating her that felt wrong.
But at the same time, she had come here to fight for the two of them. And he wanted her to prove how hard she would fight.
“I’m not giving you a blowjob like this,” she said. Her tone was quiet but deadly serious. “I love submitting to you, but not when you’re being mean. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here, but I don’t deserve this. I deserve better.”
If sparks could fly out of Drake’s eyes, they would. “I’m fucking angry, Olivia. I feel manipulated and blindsided,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a long six-weeks for me either. Fuck. I’ve thought about you every damn day.” He stepped even closer to her, grabbed the back of her head, and smashed his lips against hers.
He was being rough because of his anger, but she didn’t mind. If anything, it brought out the passion she had stuffed down all these weeks without him.
He moved his lips aggressively. She couldn’t tell who was hungrier—him or her. All she knew was how badly she wanted him. And now that he was finally touching her, she craved him more. As she kissed him back, she ran her hands through his hair, pulling it hard.
He pulled her silk pajama tank top up, forcing her to stop pulling his hair and to lift her arms above her head. They stopped kissing long enough for the tank top to fall onto the floor. Then he took both her breasts in his hands and pinched her nipples hard.
“Is this what you missed?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
As he continued pinching her nipples, he looked at her breasts.
“God, I’ve missed these,” he said softly, almost to himself, but Livvie heard. He kneeled down, so his mouth was eye level with her chest, and he sucked her nipple hard, exactly how she liked it.
She kneeled down with him and put her arms around his neck. Unsure of how he’d respond, she gently kissed him. In response, he bit her bottom lip and then slipped his tongue inside until their tongues were once again dancing.
While continuing to kiss her, he moved her silk pajama shorts aside and touched her inner folds.
“You’re still so fucking wet for me,” he said, breaking the kiss.
Livvie moaned as he circled her clit, but not in a way that would make her come. Then he pulled away and stood. She stood with him.
He pulled down her shorts then stepped back and got a good look at her fully naked while he was still dressed.
“Drake,” she whispered, as he stared at every inch of her body.
“You may stay in my cottage,” he said, his eyes cold and detached again. Then he turned around, walked out, and slammed the door behind him.
Livvie pulled up her pajama shorts and crossed her arms over her breasts. What just happened? One minute she refused to give him a blowjob, and in the next moment they were making out. And then he just left. A tear had slid down Livvie’s cheek, and she brushed it away. She’d willingly come here, knowing he could hurt her. She had to stop getting upset over his actions.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door again.
This time, Livvie yelled, “Coming.” And then she ran upstairs, threw on a pair of jeans and a navy-blue, V-neck t-shirt. She was feeling so vulnerable on the inside, so on the outside she needed to be fully clothed.
When she opened the door, she sighed with relief. Veronica and Mr. Birkshire had arrived with a huge tray of food.
“Hey, Veronica. Hi, Mr. Birkshire.” She smiled as he stepped inside.
“Welcome back,” Mr. Birkshire said. “Here’s your favorite. Lobster tails and mashed potatoes. I’ll leave a tray for you every morning and every evening.”
“Thank you so much.”
His kindness touched her so deeply; she feared she might start balling. Mr. Birkshire didn’t seem to notice. He continued to walk into her kitchen.
“Enough talk of food.” Veronica stepped into the house next and raised her chin. “My son made you cry.”
Livvie cleared her throat. “No, I made myself cry. Please, Veronica, come in.”
Livvie moved away from the door, and Veronica walked right past her and sat down on the couch. Livvie was glad to see her but wasn’t in the mood for another interrogation.
“If you want to get out of writing my book, I understand, but if not, I brought additions to the contract you already signed. Drake hasn’t seen this one. I decided to give you not only a large advance but royalties once the book sells.”
Livvie closed the door, but her hand remained on the doorknob. “Veronica, you don’t have to do this. No matter what happens with Drake, I promised you I’d write your book, and I will.”
“So now you’re looking at this like a charity case?”
She’s good, thought Livvie. Just like her son. “No, that’s not it at all. I do want to write it. In fact, I’m looking forward to writing it, but we decided on an amount already. You don’t have to pay me royalties.”
Veronica smiled warmly in the same way as Drake used to. “Good. I’m glad you’re still writing it. I wouldn’t want my son or any man to stop you from doing what you’re meant to do in life.”
Livvie smiled back and sat down in the chair across from her. “I realized that,” she whispered. “I have to admit it took me a moment, but I did realize.”
“Good. We women have to stay strong.” Veronica paused. “But if it makes you feel any better, my son is miserable. After he saw the contract, he shouted orders at Mr. Birkshire and stormed into his vineyard like he always does when he needs to hide.”
Livvie crossed her legs and sat farther back in the chair. And then he came here, she thought. “Why does he need to hide? He didn’t do anything wrong. He just doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship. That’s not against the law.”
Veronica smiled, but her eyes looked tired. “My son always hid from the world when life became too emotional for him, when he was forced to feel. He’s brilliant at business, and as a child he was brilliant at school, but when one of his friends said something to hurt him or a high s
chool girlfriend crushed his heart, he would hide in his room and shut off from the rest of the world. Especially when he saw how sad I was,” she added.
“Why?” Livvie asked softly.
“I think it’s my fault. I used to see him withdraw when I was down, but I was too depressed to do anything about it.” Veronica’s eyes glazed over and filled with regret. “Oh, well, I can’t change what happened then, but I can help him be with the woman he loves now.”
Livvie almost laughed. “I don’t think he loves me.” Although she hoped it was true.
“He does,” Veronica said.
Another thought occurred to Livvie. “Is that why you want me to write your story? You think it’ll help him to heal?”
Veronica smiled. “That’s exactly why, and I’ve wanted to write it for a long time. I’ve watched my son get close to women and then pull away when there’s a chance of happiness.”
Hearing that he could have been happy with other women hurt Livvie’s heart. She hated being jealous, but she couldn’t help it. Veronica grabbed Livvie’s hand and squeezed.
“I’ve never seen my son as happy as he was around you. And I don’t want him to lose you, but he will if he doesn’t give you what you need.”
“How do you know?”
Veronica smiled again. “Because you’re a strong woman who has been hurt by men before. If Drake continues to hurt you and doesn’t fulfill your needs, you won’t put up with his crap. You’ve learned your lessons, my dear, and you’ve turned a corner.”
Livvie swallowed hard. Veronica was right. She was through putting up with crap. “Thank you for recognizing that, Veronica.”
Veronica squeezed her hand once more and then stood. “Sign the contract, my dear, and when you’re done, drop it off at the castle.”
Livvie panicked. “How can I go up there? Drake hasn’t invited me. He will flip.”
Veronica put her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, reminding Livvie so much of Drake.
“So he’ll flip. It won’t kill him.”
Livvie didn’t respond. It may not kill Drake, but it may kill her. As Veronica turned to leave she stopped and turned toward Livvie.
“Don’t worry so much. I have a good feeling about this.” Veronica winked.
Livvie smiled. “Thank you, Veronica.” She ran up to her and gave her a huge hug.
Veronica hugged her back, but it felt more like a pat on the back. Intimacy issues, thought Livvie.
“Mr. Birkshire, I’m leaving,” Veronica shouted.
Livvie had forgotten he was still in her house.
“I’m coming.” He walked into the living room, nodded at Livvie, and then resumed walking out the door.
Veronica rolled her eyes and then followed him. Once they had both gone, Livvie closed the door, leaned against it, and burst out laughing. What a couple of characters. But she loved them both and truly hoped that if she lost Drake, she wouldn’t lose them, also. Carly had once told her to never get too attached to the family of the man she was dating. She was not dating Drake, but Carly had never been so right.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next day, Livvie sat with Veronica for six hours and the day after that for ten. She had signed the contract Veronica left for her to read, but she wouldn’t accept it unless Livvie personally delivered it to her at the castle. So far, Livvie hadn’t found the courage. In the early mornings, she’d wake up and take a walk in the vineyard, but she tried to walk in areas where Drake wouldn’t be. And it had worked out pretty well, so far. She hadn’t seen him. In fact, except for the first day, he hadn’t even come to her cottage to see her. Veronica said he was stubborn and not to give up hope. But that was the reason she had come here in the first place, to see if the hope she stored in her heart was real or just an illusion. But at least he hadn’t kicked her out.
She loved working on Veronica’s book. As Veronica gave details about her life as a young wife and mother, Livvie formed a better understanding of why Drake was the way he was. His mom had gone through some really dark days. Being married to a workaholic and living so far from her family had been rough on her and therefore, rough on Drake. And then once she’d returned to the United States, she had to reinvent herself. Being a single mother hadn’t been easy. Even though her family was happy to see her, they judged her for getting divorced. And that was a struggle for her, too. But Livvie loved the way Veronica told her stories. They laughed and drank tea. If Livvie and Drake didn’t get together, she would really miss his mother.
Last night when Veronica left, Livvie had sat on her bed, took out her laptop, and had written the first three chapters. She had been jotting down notes the last few days, but she hadn’t started to write until last night.
Staying up all night writing had been exhausting but also exhilarating. Writing was her passion, her true love. No matter what happened with Drake, the completeness she felt all night from writing was a reminder that she was alive and satisfied in a different way. And she was grateful that she was being paid for doing what she loved. She also couldn’t wait to show the chapters to Veronica. When Livvie had tried Veronica’s cellphone earlier, she didn’t answer. An hour later, Livvie still couldn’t get in touch with her. She really wanted Veronica to see them.
And that’s when a thought occurred to Livvie. The time had come.
Feeling courageous once again, she showered and put on a sundress that showed a good amount of cleavage. The dress was all white and came together slightly at the waist, making her chest look bigger. It fell to above her knees, and there were small pink bows along the bottom, which made her feel pretty and feminine.
If Veronica weren’t coming today, then Livvie would have no choice but to go to her. And if she happened to see Drake, then so be it. His mom was paying her good money to write her book, and it was her job to deliver.
As she walked up to Drake’s house, she felt different than she had when she’d stayed here as the raffle winner. Before, she’d been an unemployed television writer, but now she was an employed novel writer, and it felt incredible. She was living her dream, and she owed it all to Carly. If Carly hadn’t forced Livvie to go to the black-tie charity event, she never would have won that raffle ticket. And therefore, she never would have met Veronica. Carly believed there were no coincidences in life, and there was a reason for everything. Maybe she was right. And if Livvie had never won that raffle ticket, Carly never would have met Mitch. Carly had finally confessed to fucking him that night. But Livvie practically had to drag the information out of her, and being so closed-mouthed about her sexual escapades really wasn’t like Carly. She had been acting so weird since that night. In fact, Livvie had barely seen her friend. And when she asked about Mitch, Carly stopped speaking.
Livvie had felt as if she had to do life on her own since Drake had left. And she missed her best friend. She would never tell Drake about them, though. He had threatened to never hire Mitch again. But knowing Drake, he probably already knew.
When she reached the back door, an intense feeling of fear washed over her. She wasn’t sure if she was feeling impending doom or if the butterflies causing havoc in her stomach were because she may see Drake. Whatever it was, she couldn’t turn back now. Holding the chapters and the contract closer to her heart, she opened the door.
The second she walked into the house, Mr. Birkshire was there to greet her. How had he known she was here? And then she remembered. Drake had installed security cameras all around the place. Did that mean Drake had seen her, too?
“Ms. Collins, it’s wonderful to see you here. I see that your baggage is gone.” He winked at her but still without a smile.
She didn’t care. She understood what he meant, and she was elated that he saw the difference in her.
She smiled wide. “Thank you. I tried.”
“And you succeeded. Now how can I help you?”
“Is Veronica here?” Maybe Mr. Birkshire would get Veronica for Livvie, and she could leave without seeing Drake. But
was that what she really wanted?
Mr. Birkshire nodded. “Come, follow me. I’ll tell her that you’re here.”
Livvie followed him to the entrance hall and then froze when she heard a man’s voice—the deep, dark voice she longed to hear day and night. Swallowing hard, she looked up at the top of the stairs, where the voice was coming from.
“Did you not hear me?” Drake yelled.
She’d heard him ranting and raving, but she wasn’t sure what he had said.
“Excuse me?” Livvie asked with as much courage as she could muster.
“What are you doing here?” He emphasized each word as if she was an idiot.
Mr. Birkshire nodded at her and then left her alone without any protective shield. And she needed one. The last time she’d seen Drake, he’d left her standing alone naked.
“I’m here for Veronica. I have some pages of her book that I want her to see.”
“And you couldn’t email them to her?” Drake said as he walked down the stairs toward where she stood trembling.
She wished she didn’t always feel so on edge around him.
“No, she likes to physically have the pages in her hands, so she can write notes on them. And these are the first three chapters.”
“I see,” was all he said, standing only a few feet away from her.
“You do?” she asked.
“Yes, you needed a reason to see me.” Drake raised an eyebrow, daring her to challenge him.
“You’re wrong. I came here to see Veronica.”
Drake smirked. “Oh, I think that’s part of it. But it’s not your style to admit you came here because you’ve been craving me day and night since I saw you at my cottage. Especially since I left you wet and aroused.”
Trying to remain calm, Livvie looked down at the pages, but Drake wouldn’t have it. He yanked the pages out of her hand.
“Drake. Give those back!”
“Not until you answer my question.”
Livvie’s heartbeat was thudding while she waited to hear what he wanted to know. “What’s your question?” The faster she got the pages back the faster she could return to the cottage.
Risking Her Heart: A Contemporary Romance Novel Page 23