by T. K. Leigh
“What do you want me to say, Alex?” she asked quietly.
“I just want you to tell me how you feel, Olivia. The truth.”
Several intense seconds passed as Alexander stared down at her, bracing for her answer. Her eyes traced over his face. His green eyes were so full of sadness. She could see the hurt all over his body. He looked good, but there was something missing from his usual spark.
“Okay!” Olivia shouted. “I love you, Alexander! Okay?! Is that what you want to hear?! You want to hear how I want to get married and have beautiful babies?! Because I do! I love you so fucking much that it hurts!” Tears continued to fall down Olivia’s face as Alexander pulled her close, stroking her hair and kissing her head, trying to calm her down.
“I’ve loved you since I saw you running that day back in August at Boston Common. And then I started to love you even more when you came and adopted Runner. I loved you so much that I ran from you. I fell in love with you even more when you came after me and found me, begging me to come home with you. And then it broke my fucking heart when I saw you with another woman because I loved you then, too.
“And every day I spend with you, I fall even more in love. And the days we’re apart, I feel like I could die from the fucking heartache because I’m missing such an important part of me. It feels like I can’t go on breathing or surviving when you’re not with me, and that’s what I’m fucking scared of. I’m scared that you’ll leave me, just like everyone else in my life that I’ve ever loved, and I’ll never survive.”
She cried into Alexander’s chest, soaking his suit jacket. “I’m scared to death to love you, but I’m more scared to walk away from you,” she sobbed out. “There. I’ve admitted it. Are you satisfied now?”
“Sshhh… It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
She took several deep breaths, reveling in the feeling of being back in Alexander’s arms. It had not even been a week, but it felt like an eternity since those arms had held her.
“Olivia, look at me,” Alexander said, coaxing her head up. A brilliant smile spread across his face. “There’s the girl I love.” He wiped the tears from her eyes with his finger. Olivia let out a small laugh as she tried to compose herself, shivering from the chilly March air.
“You must be freezing out here, wearing just that,” Alexander said, eying Olivia’s black open-back halter top.
“You do a pretty good job at making me all hot and bothered, Mr. Burnham,” Olivia said sweetly.
Alexander laughed. “Come, love. Let’s get you warmed up.” He pulled her close to him and led her back toward the noisy bar.
He stopped right before the front door. “Hey, Olivia?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Her heart swelled. Standing on her tip-toes, she planted a gentle kiss on his lips. “I love you, too, Alexander Burnham,” she murmured.
“That’s my girl.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
I WILL
ALEXANDER AND OLIVIA MADE their way back upstairs just as the band finished their song. Alexander met Mo’s eyes, nodding. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a special night. We’ve got a local celebrity in our presence. Let’s get him up here. Alexander Burnham. Come on, bud!”
Olivia looked at Alexander and then back at Mo. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Hell if I know.” He smirked. “Come on.” He pulled Olivia through the crowd of people, and she noticed that the stage was set up slightly differently. A chair sat slightly off center, positioned in such a way so the person sitting could see the audience as well as the performance on stage.
Alexander hopped up on stage, shaking hands with Mo and the guys. Olivia stood in front of the stage with Kiera, who winked at her, squeezing her arm, as if saying she was glad they worked things out. Melanie and Tyler smiled at Olivia. “Glad you’re giving my brother another shot,” Tyler joked. “He’s been impossible to deal with this week.”
“So has Libby,” Melanie joked.
Olivia rolled her eyes before returning her gaze to the stage and Alexander, watching as he grabbed the microphone out of its stand and walked over to where Olivia stood. “Oh no, love. You’re not getting out of this.” He held his hand out to her. She looked at him, questioning. “You can trust me,” he whispered in her ear, helping her back onto the stage and leading her over to the chair. “Have a seat, gorgeous.”
“What’s going on, Alexander?” she asked nervously. She always loved being up on stage, but she had no idea what was going on. And that scared her more than anything.
“You’ll find out,” he winked. Olivia sat down, her heart thumping in her chest.
Alexander put the microphone back in its stand and walked over to his Martin guitar, picking it up to check the tuning. He played a quick chord, getting the note he needed to start the song.
“Set?” Mo asked him.
“Set,” he replied.
Mo counted the band in and Alexander immediately began singing The Beatles I Will, looking at Olivia sitting in the chair.
Olivia gasped. He was singing a song to her, a song that she had heard many times in her dreams. It all seemed so familiar.
Tears streamed down her face as she watched Alexander sing the chorus, staring into her eyes, declaring his love for her, letting everyone know that she possessed his heart. But that song. There was something about that song. She tried to remember, but the memory wouldn’t come. Olivia tried and tried. There was just something so familiar about that exact moment.
Alexander began the last verse, staring intently at Olivia, singing the words to her. She wiped her eyes, trying to hide her tears. She felt so much love for the man singing to her. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.
Alexander and the band finished the song and the audience cheered. He took off his guitar, placing it back on the stand before grabbing the microphone and walking toward Olivia as he motioned for the audience to quiet down.
Olivia’s heart began to race. Alexander brought the microphone back to his mouth. “Olivia, love, to answer your question from before…I’m not satisfied.” His voice rang through the bar, no one making a sound, the crowd glued to the drama unfolding in front of them.
She looked at him, a confused look on her face.
“You asked me if I was satisfied. Well, to tell you the truth, I won’t be satisfied until I can wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life.”
Olivia stared into his eyes as her entire body trembled.
After a few excruciatingly quiet moments, Alexander took a deep breath and swiftly lowered himself to one knee.
Olivia, and half the audience, gasped.
“Alex. What are you doing?” Her eyes scanned the crowd, cell phone cameras flashing away. Olivia knew that photo would soon be all over the internet.
“Sarah Olivia Adler, I fell head over heels in love with you the minute I laid eyes on you, and my love for you has only grown over the past eight months. Even when you left me, and I almost married someone else, I never stopped thinking about you.”
The audience chuckled.
Olivia could barely see anything, her eyes turning into kaleidoscopes because of all the tears she shed.
“I can’t stand the thought of not spending the rest of my life with you.” He set the microphone on the floor and reached into his pocket. He produced a small black velvet box. “Will you please do me the honor of being my wife?”
He flipped open the box. Olivia’s eyes went wide when she saw the beautiful ring. It was a three-karat round cut diamond with small stones circling the larger one and inlaid into a platinum band.
“Oh, Alex. It’s gorgeous.”
Alexander took the ring out of the box and held it up to the tip of her ring finger.
“Marry me, Olivia. Make me the happiest man on the planet.”
All of a sudden, she knew why she remembered that song and that moment. Her dream. The green-eyed boy singing that song for her, then
morphing into Alexander. And then him getting down on one knee with a ring box in his hand. Maybe her parents had been watching out for her. Maybe her mama had been sending her a message with the dreams. She immediately knew her answer.
Olivia smiled and nodded fervently. “Yes.”
“Yes?” Alexander asked excitedly, sliding the ring on her finger.
“Of course, Alexander.” She pulled his face toward hers, crushing her lips against his as they both stood up. “A thousand times yes,” she breathed into his mouth.
He pressed his body against hers, kissing her sweetly, his tongue gently caressing hers. She ran her fingers through his hair, relishing the taste of him, never wanting that feeling to go away.
“Come on, you two. Get a room,” Mo interrupted. Alexander pulled away slowly, planting gentle kisses on her nose and cheeks.
“So, Livvy. What’s your answer?” Mo asked.
Olivia held up her left hand, grinning.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
COMPLETE
ALEXANDER OPENED THE DOOR to the SUV, helping Olivia into the waiting car.
“Miss Adler. Wonderful to see you again,” Martin said, winking.
“You won’t have to call me Miss Adler for much longer,” Olivia replied, smiling wide.
Alexander got in the car opposite Olivia. “Where to, love?” He grabbed her left hand, sending shivers down her spine as he planted gentle kisses on her knuckles and ring, rubbing his lips against her soft skin.
Olivia felt her stomach clench, her body heating up just from the simple gesture. Alexander looked into her eyes, waiting for an answer. “Your place, Mr. Burnham,” she said in a quiet, sultry voice.
“Your wish is my command, the future Mrs. Burnham.”
Olivia giggled. She loved the sound of that.
Within a few minutes, Martin dropped Alexander and Olivia off in front of his building. “Thank you, Martin. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”
He ran around and opened Olivia’s door for her, leading her through the lobby of his building and into a waiting elevator. “Let’s go home.” The elevator door opened to the penthouse. Alexander picked Olivia up, cradling her in his arms.
“Put me down, Alex,” she laughed.
“No way. I need to carry you over the threshold, darling.”
Olivia playfully smacked him. “That’s on our wedding night, jackass.”
He leaned down, pressing his lips gently to hers as he stood in the foyer. She reached up and ran her hands through his dark hair. “I’m just practicing, love,” he whispered against her lips, punching the code into the wall. The door opened and he walked in, his lips never leaving hers.
“Maybe we can try practicing a few other things for our wedding night, too,” she whispered, her eyes wide with yearning.
Alexander slowly put her down, making sure she had her footing, his eyes intense. He peered down at her, his gaze burning a hole through her body. She backed up against the wall, unable to take her eyes off of him.
He pressed his body against hers, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “What kind of things did you have in mind, Olivia?”
She swallowed hard. Her body was on fire, her heart racing in her chest. “You know… Things…” She raised her eyebrows.
Alexander trailed kisses along her jaw. Olivia moaned, feeling that familiar tingling sensation overtake her being. He tugged on her earlobe, pulling it between his lips. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific.” His breath was hot on her skin. “What kinds of things do you want to practice?”
He wrapped his hands around her body, lifting her up, forcing her legs around his waist, using the wall to support her. He gently thrust against her and she threw her head back, moaning out when she felt his erection between her thighs.
“Olivia, look at me,” Alexander growled. Olivia’s eyes met his. “What do you want to do?”
She pulled Alexander’s head toward hers, crushing her lips to his, telling him with her mouth what she wanted. Her tongue invaded his mouth, exploring him in a way that she never had before. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it. The kiss was so much more meaningful than any other kiss they’ve ever had.
Alexander groaned and Olivia could feel him get even harder. He pulled his mouth from hers, breathless. “Please, love. Tell me what you want to do. You’re driving me crazy here.” He grabbed her hair, pulling her head to one side. He kissed her neck, sending volts of electricity through her body.
“I want you to take me to your bed,” she whispered.
Alexander continued kissing her neck, sucking and biting. “What do you want to do there?”
Olivia knew what she wanted to do. She just had trouble saying the words, and Alexander knew that. She didn’t just want to fuck like they usually did. She wanted so much more than that.
“Please, Olivia. Say it,” he begged her softly, the dominating lover nowhere to be found.
She looked into his green eyes, the love he had for her evident. “I want you to make love to me, Alexander.”
He growled, pressing his lips to hers. “I’ve been waiting eight months for you to say that to me.”
He put his hands back around her ass. “Hold on tight, love,” he said before making his way up the flight of stairs, her legs still wrapped around his waist.
He kicked open the door to the master bedroom, carrying Olivia over to the bed, gently lowering her down before crawling on top of her.
She grabbed the back of Alexander’s neck, forcing his mouth to meet hers as his hands explored her body. He ran his fingers across her stomach. She savored the feeling of the silk top pressed against her body as he teased her nipple through her shirt. “No bra, Miss Adler?” he asked. “I could get used to that.”
Olivia leaned her head back, her body overwhelmed with the sensation of his fingertips tweaking her nipples through the soft fabric. He slowly lowered his body, planting kisses on her stomach, lifting her shirt up slightly.
She squirmed, her breathing heavy, becoming slightly unhinged when she felt Alexander’s tongue trace circles around her belly button. “Oh, god,” she exhaled.
Alexander’s hands glided up the side of Olivia’s stomach, gently lifting her top over her head. He explored her body with his tongue, slowly inching his way up to her chest. “You are so beautiful, Olivia. I can’t get over how fucking amazing you are.” His tongue circled her nipple, taking it between his teeth.
“Alexander, please,” she breathed out. “I can’t take it much longer.”
“Patience, beautiful. Let me love you,” he said, torturing her other nipple with his mouth. She moaned, running her fingers up and down Alexander’s back, pulling his shirt off.
He threw his shirt on the ground before unbuttoning Olivia’s jeans, quickly ridding her of the rest of her clothes before stripping out of his.
Olivia pulled him back down to her, invading his mouth with hers as she wrapped her legs around him, circling him around his erection.
Alexander groaned, pulling on her bottom lip with his teeth, placing kisses down her neck, her chest, her stomach, her hipbones. Olivia glanced down, meeting his eyes as he positioned his mouth between her thighs.
He flicked her sex with his tongue, making her moan out. “Do you like that?” he breathed, the vibrations of his voice on the most sensitive part of her body turning her on even more.
“Yes, Alexander,” she moaned.
He continued his exploration of her with his tongue, taking his time. She was in the moment of complete and utter rapture. Her heart swelled as she thought of the love she had for him, and the love he had for her. At that moment in time, everything was perfect. She was finally getting beyond her past. She finally opened her heart up to love, and received love in return. For the first time that she could remember, she felt that she had finally found her place in the world. With Alexander.
Olivia cried out when Alexander sucked on her clit, inserting two fingers, circling her, massaging that swee
t spot inside her. She was climbing higher and higher, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she fell over the edge again. Alexander felt it, too.
“Come for me, love,” he said. “I want to feel you shake.”
“Alex!” she shouted out as tremors ran through her. He continued massaging her, milking her orgasm. Her mind was a blank slate as her orgasm coursed through her body, the spasms never seeming to end while Alexander watched her body tremble beneath him.
When the aftershocks finally subsided, Olivia pulled Alexander’s head toward hers, kissing him full on the mouth, tasting her on his lips and tongue.
“I taste good,” Olivia said.
Alexander moaned, incredibly turned on. He positioned himself between her legs and, very slowly, entered her. He wrapped his arm around her back, raising her closer to him, not wanting any space between them.
Slowly, he moved in and out, kissing her body all over.
“God, Olivia, you feel so good. I love you so much.”
A tear ran down her cheek, the love she saw in Alexander’s eyes overwhelming. She was so deliriously happy at that moment. She always enjoyed sex, and sex with Alexander was always incredible, but there was something about that moment, with him moving inside of her, that was so much bigger than anything she had ever experienced. She felt full and complete.