by Sarah Peis
But I wasn’t feeling all that great about my decision to forgive him. Was I repeating past mistakes? He wasn’t the first guy to lie to me while we were together. I knew we weren’t technically together until recently, but I wasn’t sleeping with anyone else and assumed he wasn’t either. He had even told me as much. I hated that Lincoln planted a seed of doubt in my head.
“You’ve only known him for a few months. Don’t repeat past mistakes, Maize. You deserve better than that.”
I grabbed my mug and walked out of the kitchen, done with this conversation. What had gotten into Lincoln?
“Maize, wait. Let’s talk about this.” Lincoln followed me to the front door. “Don’t leave like this. I only want what’s best for you. I care about you.”
“Yeah? Well, then, maybe you should trust me. I got this. It’s my mistake to make.”
“Maybe this time you need a friend to stop you.”
“Maybe this time I just need to believe I won’t get screwed over again. And it’s a jackass thing to do to bring up my failed relationships.”
He stepped in front of me, blocking the front door. I did not have time for his ill-timed intervention. I was running late and needed to get to the shop.
“Get out of my way, Lincoln. This conversation is over.”
He stepped closer, and before I could ask him what the hell he was doing, he put his hands on each side of my head and pulled me in for a kiss. I was too stunned to move, let alone push him off. Was I in an alternate universe? And if I was, did Janet Jackson still have a wardrobe mishap at the Super Bowl?
His lips were moving on mine, and I squeaked in protest. When I felt his tongue, I ground my heel on his foot and stepped back when he loosened his grip with a yelp.
“Are you out of your mind? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I yelled, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“I want you to give us a chance. I would never cheat on you. Or lie to you. Just think about it,” he said, then left me standing in the entry hall, mug in one hand, handbag in the other.
I was still staring at the door five minutes later when my phone chimed. The sound pulled me out of my paralysis, and I finally left the house and made my way to the shop.
Which brought me to now, where I was balancing on a ladder, trying to hang up the lamps that looked innocent and cute but took me hours to unfold and were now being finicky little bitches to hang up.
“Need some help?” Oliver asked, appearing next to where I was cursing up a storm, hopefully low enough so none of the customers could hear.
“It’s either you help me or I might set something on fire. Those strings are not made to be used. They look like dental floss,” I complained and climbed down the ladder.
Oliver’s hands closed around my waist when I was halfway down, and he lifted me the rest of the way, making sure I slid down nice and close to his body.
“They’re probably made that way so you can’t see them when the lamps are hanging up.” I speared him with a glance, and he held his hands up. “Please pass the lamp and screws.”
It took about two seconds to shove everything in his arms and blink at him innocently.
“That’s a lot of lamps,” he said, then got up on the ladder in his fancy suit and started hanging them up.
I was busy admiring his ass when I felt an elbow in my ribs. “Is this part of your opening entertainment?” Willa asked and gave me a side hug.
“It’s part of my entertainment, that’s for sure.”
“I take it you guys are now officially together?”
I didn’t take my eyes off Oliver when I hummed under my breath.
“Guess that means yes. Well, I’m going to go and spend some of my hard-earned money on your fabulous clothes. Let me know when your eyes can focus on anything but Oliver’s ass again.”
Another hum under my breath, and Willa chuckled and left.
“All done,” Oliver said, getting off the ladder.
“I thought you weren’t very handy? Looked like you did just fine up there.”
“There were no hammers or drills involved, so I managed,” he said and leaned down to kiss me. I only allowed a small peck, still feeling weird after Lincoln’s attempt earlier.
“Thanks for your help,” I said, feeling awkward when he didn’t respond.
I looked up and found him watching me. He knew something was up. He had the look. The one that said I better talk.
“So how long are you staying?” I asked, trying to move on from the lukewarm kiss.
“I’m staying until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Sometimes I really hated that he could read me so well. There was nothing I could ever hide from him.
“I just had a terrible morning. Nothing to worry about.” The first part was true, the second not so much.
“Why did you have a bad morning? Are you still worried about not getting your dresses done on time?”
“Thanks to you, I might actually be able to swing it,” I said and put my arms around his neck, bringing our bodies together. “I don’t know how you did it, but you saved my ass.”
“You know I would do anything for you. And it wasn’t hard getting the sewing club involved. I didn’t have to do much to convince them. All it took was the promise of fabrics at warehouse prices since I know a few distributors. Still doesn’t explain why you look so unhappy.”
I looked at his chest and decided to just tell him. It wasn’t like I returned the kiss. “Lincoln kissed me this morning,” I said into his shirt.
I felt his body stiffen, and his hands on my waist got tight. “And did you kiss him back?” he asked, his voice deceptively calm.
I tried to step back, but he held on tight. “Let go. I can’t believe you’re even asking me this.”
“You guys have been friends for a long time. And he’s probably had the hots for you just as long.”
“Exactly. Friends. And I’m not the one who was engaged the whole time we were sleeping together. It was only ever you for me. Now let me go. I don’t appreciate what you’re implying.”
He let me go, reading my mood as close to nuclear. How dare he think I returned the kiss?
It didn’t help that we were standing in the middle of the shop, surrounded by people. And they were definitely staring at us.
“This isn’t the time or place to talk about this. I have a lot depending on this opening.”
Oliver nodded and then pushed a hand through his hair. “I have to go back to the office anyway. But I’ll be back at five. Don’t leave without me.”
He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, not giving me a chance to respond before he turned on his heels and left with long strides. I was once again standing there like an idiot, trying to figure out what just happened.
“You okay?” Willa asked, appearing next to me.
“I’m fine. Let’s give the girls a hand,” I said and walked toward the cash register, where Chloe was busy folding up dresses and putting them in a bag.
Willa didn’t push for more, but I felt her eyes on me all day. The opening went well; we made a lot of sales and got a lot of new member sign-ups. I heaved out a gigantic sigh when I finally turned the sign over to Closed after the last customer left. My feet hurt from wearing heels all day, and I still didn’t know what to say to Oliver. He hadn’t contacted me since he left. Usually we would send each other messages throughout the day, and he would call me if he had a few minutes between meetings. But not today.
“You want to grab a drink and tell me what happened today?” Willa asked while straightening out dresses next to me.
“I can’t today, Oliver is picking me up. But how about tomorrow? Lunch?”
“You’re on. And great job today. I think you nailed this opening.”
“You know what, I think it was really great.” I smiled at her.
There was a knock on the door, and we both turned toward the sound. Jameson was standing outside, waving at us.
“That’s m
y ride. Do you need help with anything else?” Willa said and waved back.
“I’m good. Only need to lock the money away, and then I’m done for today. The shop is closed tomorrow, so if there’s anything I forgot, I’ll sort it out then.”
“You rock.” She hugged me before skipping toward the exit. “Don’t forget to lock this behind me,” she called out, then closed the door.
I smiled and followed her, watching her and Jameson disappear in his car. I turned the lock and walked back to the register to get the money out. I locked it in the safe in my office and started turning out the lights when there was another knock on the door.
This time it was Oliver, and I hurried to let him in. He greeted me with another kiss to the cheek. He wasn’t usually a cheek kisser. More of a mouth-to-mouth, lots-of-tongue kisser. I didn’t think I liked this recent development.
“Hey, you ready?” he asked, closing the door behind him.
“Yeah, just have to turn out the rest of the lights.
He followed me around the shop in silence as I flicked switches. We walked toward the back door, and I set the alarm before closing and locking the back access.
“My car is out the front,” he said and took my hand. I figured that was progress.
He helped me inside and got behind the wheel. “I thought we could eat at my place. There’re things we have to discuss, and I’d rather do it at home than in a crowded restaurant.”
I didn’t like the sound of that either. At all. I had a bad feeling, and my stomach was revolting again. All that stress would give me an ulcer.
“Okay,” I said and buckled myself in. If he wanted to end us, then it definitely was better done in private. There was no telling what I would do.
His house was lit up as bright as a Christmas tree, and for once the light in his garage was on. He drove in and parked the car, getting out without a word.
He opened my door and helped me out.
“Did you fix the lights?” I asked, indicating the state of the garage.
“I hired someone,” he responded, and we walked inside.
I left my shoes on in case I had to make a quick getaway but placed my bag on his kitchen island.
“Do you want a drink? I have wine, beer, Jack Daniel’s, or water, if you prefer?”
“Water sounds good.” I would need the clear head. But I guessed if he was offering me a drink, he wasn’t going to kick me out straightaway.
He handed me a glass, and I took a sip, my throat suddenly feeling dry.
“Do you want to sit down?” he asked, pointing to the chairs at the bar.
“Not sure. Should I sit down?”
“Probably better if you do. That way it’ll take you longer in case you want to make a run for it.”
“Why would I make a run for it? Unless you’re going to tell me you’re still engaged to someone else and that we’re over, I don’t plan on running.” But if that was what he was going to tell me, I would sprint out of there. And I was talking full-on running.
“I’m not engaged to someone else,” he ground out. “I thought you believed me.”
I looked at my water glass and cleared my still dry throat. “I believe you. It’s just hard to forget. And easy to remember when everyone keeps throwing it in my face.”
Oliver came around the kitchen island and turned my bar stool around so I was facing him. Then he stepped in between my legs and put his arms around my waist, holding me close.
“I know. And I’m sorry I ever hurt you like that. But I’m all in. And I want you to trust me. Trust in us. So I organized for us to fly to LA. Tonight. We’re going to have lunch with my family tomorrow, and I’ll show you where I grew up. Anna is coming with us. As reinforcement.”
“We’re doing what?” I asked, unsure if I just heard him correctly.
“Anna has your bag and is going to bring it with her. Our plane leaves in two hours.”
“How? What? And why is she coming along?”
“Because I never know how my family is going to act. But I want you to hear it from them that the engagement was only a business deal. Nothing else.”
“And Anna is willing to come along?” If she packed my bag, there was no way I would have anything to wear. She probably put only T-shirts in that suitcase.
“She feels bad about giving you such a hard time. And I promised to help her with her tax return this year.”
I arched a brow at him. “Will you do mine as well?”
He chuckled. “If you want.” He kissed my nose and pulled back again. “I’ll leave it up to her to apologize. But you should decide what you want for dinner before we leave. Unless you like airplane food.”
“Okay, let’s get pizza.”
“Good choice,” he said and grinned. He looked a lot less tense and more like the Oliver I knew.
I could do this. This trip could be just what we needed. And he was right. Even though I kept telling everyone, including myself, that I was okay with what had happened, I really wasn’t. And maybe seeing his family would help. I didn’t know if it would, but I was willing to try.
It was official: I hated LA. There were too many cars, too many people, and the constant noise was deafening. I felt like a small-town hick, which I was, playing dress-up with her sister’s clothes, which I wasn’t, since I didn’t have a sister and usually wore clothes I made. Except today. Because I was right, Anna wasn’t done making me pay for lying to her. She had packed half my wardrobe. The suitcase weighed about ninety pounds. Even I didn’t need that many changes of clothes.
We arrived late at night and were staying at Oliver’s apartment in downtown LA. He owned the penthouse in one of the high-rises. If anyone asked me which one he lived in, I couldn’t tell because they all looked the same to me. Anna had flown in with us and was staying at her friend’s place.
I was glad we finally had a chance to talk, and she really did seem okay with a relationship between Oliver and me. Didn’t mean she was just going to forget that it went on for so long without her knowing. She was crazy protective of him.
The apartment had three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a study. If I wasn’t so tired, I would go snooping. But as I was worn out and close to going cross-eyed from trying to keep my eyes open, it had to wait.
“Do you want to try out the hot tub?” Oliver said and took his suit jacket off.
“Tempting, but I think I might pass out if I sit in there. I’m dead on my feet.”
He came up behind me and put his arms around my middle. I tilted my head to the side, and he kissed my neck before resting his cheek on mine.
“I’m sorry I dragged you out here. Especially on such a late flight. But I didn’t want to wait. I don’t want you to have any doubts about us anymore.”
“Don’t apologize. I love that you want me to meet your family. And I’m trying to stop letting my crappy dating history screw up what we have. You are the most important person in my life.”
He tightened his hold and kissed my cheek. “I love you.”
I turned my head and looked at him, taking in his beautiful eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips. I never thought someone like Oliver could love a person as broken and jaded as me. But he did, and he was trying his hardest to make sure I understood. I vowed then and there that I would make the most of our trip and take it as a new beginning.
“I love you too,” I said, then turned in his embrace and put my arms around his neck. I tilted my head, hoping he could see how much I meant those three words. Something blazed through his eyes and he pulled me impossibly closer, eradicating any space between our bodies.
There was a tingling in the pit of my stomach, and my body ached for his touch. I couldn’t remember a time when I hadn’t craved his touch. From the moment we met, I had felt a connection like never before.
He leaned his head down, and his mouth covered mine hungrily. I parted my lips and touched my tongue to his. That was all the invitation he needed to devour me. I matched his fervor with my own, an ur
gency to our movements. I felt like I might combust if I didn’t get closer.
We tore at our clothes, and I heard a rip when I pulled his shirt off. He lowered my zipper down the back of my dress, and it fell down around my legs, immediately forgotten.
We didn’t bother walking to the bed, but he laid me down on the big couch—thankfully not leather, because naked butt and leather did not get on well—and covered my body with his. I shivered at the feel of him, loving how he was so much bigger than me. I felt protected, and it wasn’t entirely unwelcome that his muscles pressed up against me.
He undid my bra and pulled it off, kissing my exposed nipples, his tongue tantalizing the buds, paying attention to each one. Only when I was writhing underneath him did his tongue sear a path down my body, over my abdomen and stopping at my thighs, ignoring the place where I wanted him most.
My breath came in short pants, and I could barely hold on to a coherent thought. My insides were doing cartwheels, and my body was humming in need.
“Fuck, I love your body,” he said before his mouth found the place where I wanted it most. I nearly choked out a relieved cry, but when I felt his tongue, all I could do was moan. The world spun and careened on its axis, and nothing else mattered but Oliver and the delicious things he was doing to me.
He shattered the hard shell I had built up over the years and blew it to pieces. And just when I thought I couldn’t feel more, that it couldn’t possibly get better, he sat up and entered me in one strong thrust. I wound my legs around his body and clawed at his arms, wanting him closer, as close as he could get.
But Oliver liked to be in control, and right now it seemed he wanted to possess every inch of my body. He was almost desperate to get as deep as he could, his breaths coming out hard and heavy. A few strokes later, I gave in to the searing need that only he could incite. He eradicated all my doubts and fears until he was the only one who mattered.
I was still coming down when Oliver thrust into me quicker and quicker and found his own release with a deep satisfied groan.