A Tragic Wreck (29 page)

A
FTER
MUCH
NAGGING
BY
Kiera all day on Thursday, Olivia decided to accompany Alexander to the charity auction. What was there to be afraid of? Except possibly running into numerous women that Alexander had slept with, including the woman he left standing on the altar. Olivia came from a different world than that which Alexander lived in. Yes, she had money, but she didn’t flaunt it. Not like that.

Since she had nothing to wear, she forced Kiera to take a personal day on Friday to help her shop. In exchange, Olivia promised her a day of pampering on Saturday… Massages, manicures, pedicures, and hair styling. How could Kiera say no to that?

“Okay, bitch. Ready to get this show on the road?” Kiera shouted across the coffee shop when she entered.

Olivia rolled her eyes as Kiera made her way over to the table she was sitting at, Carter standing stoically near the entrance. “You sure do know how to make an entrance, don’t you?” Several businessmen in nicely tailored suits watched with lust in their eyes as Kiera sat down across from Olivia.

She shrugged, grabbing the coffee Olivia held out for her, bringing her lips to the cup, savoring the warm liquid. “Ready for your day of shopping?” Kiera asked excitedly once the caffeine entered her system.

“I think so. I’m still a little nervous about this, though,” Olivia said.

“Why? I don’t get it.”

“I don’t know. This whole world Alexander lives in is so far from anything I’ve ever dealt with. There’s crazy money, and I’m just worried I won’t be accepted, ya’ know?” Olivia looked down, nervously tapping her nails against the small black bistro table as people flooded into the shop, desperate to get their morning caffeine fix. The sun had finally come out to play, melting some of the snow from the day before, and spring was in the air.

“Pssh, whatever. You just show them you’ve got more money than all of them put together. Because you totally do.”

Olivia exhaled, pushing her empty coffee cup to the edge of the table. “I know, but you know me. I don’t care about showing off how much money I have. I’m just worried I won’t fit in.”

“Don’t try to fit in. You’ve never done that before, and that’s why Alexander loves you so much.”

Olivia stilled in her chair. “No. He’s not in love with me, Kiera. No way. We barely know each other. I mean…”

“What? Spit it out, Libby.”

“It’s just that we were only together for like two months before I…”

“Before you ran like the fucking coward you are,” Kiera spat playfully at her friend, winking at a tall guy walking past their table on the way to order his coffee. Olivia sighed, wishing she could be as bold as her friend.

“Yes. Before I ran. So we’ve only been back together for a month. And I guess I just don’t think you could really fall in love with someone that quickly.”

“So let me get this straight. All that agony you felt when he turned you away, that was all because you just
liked
him?” Kiera raised her eyebrows, glaring at Olivia with her arms crossed.

“Well…” She leaned back in her chair, not comfortable with the direction their conversation had taken.

“Well, what? What the fuck are you so scared of?”

Olivia lowered her voice. “You know what.”

“He calls you ‘love’ all the time. You seem to be okay with that.”

She sighed. “That’s different. That’s like calling me ‘babe’ or ‘sweetheart’ or something like that. It doesn’t mean he loves me.”

Kiera got up from the table, grabbing her friend’s hand and pulling her out of the coffee shop, Carter following closely behind as they walked up the street toward a dress boutique. “You’re crazy. He loves you. You love him. And if you’re too scared to put a label on it, whatever.” She opened the door to the swanky shop, and they were soon immersed in trying to find the perfect dress, Olivia thankful that Kiera hadn’t continued their conversation about her and Alexander and that horrible word that scared her to her core.

After shopping for several hours and trying on dress after dress, Olivia was ready to give up and call Alexander to tell him that she was not going with him.

“Come on. Last one, I promise,” Kiera begged, thrusting a dress into her arms and shooing her back into the dressing room.

“Fine,” Olivia replied unenthusiastically. Nothing had been working out for her that day. They had spent hours going from boutique to boutique, searching for the perfect dress, but nothing made Olivia feel good. Not one dress was even close to what she needed to have on her body to feel confident enough to get through the charity auction. Maybe she was fooling herself thinking that she could really live in Alexander’s perfect little world. He had everything…good looks, charm, money, a killer smile, a beautiful body that sent electricity through her entire being every time he was close. And the way he used that body… Olivia started panting as she stood in the dressing room just thinking about that body moving on top of her and beneath her and everything in between.

“You okay in there?” Kiera shouted, bringing Olivia back from her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she replied weakly. “Just a second.” She looked at the dress that Kiera had chosen. It appeared simple enough and that was what Olivia wanted. Something simple, yet elegant. And the dress fit the bill. Sliding the silk over her head and pulling up the zipper, her jaw dropped. The deep champagne shade accented her olive tone, making her skin seem to glow. The gown drew attention to her best features, with a deep V in the front and an even deeper V in the back, showing off her rather sculpted back. It clung loosely to her hips before falling to the floor, a slit running up almost the entire length of her right leg.

“Holy shit!” Kiera exclaimed when Olivia walked out of the dressing room. “You look fucking smoking! You need that dress, even if you don’t wear it Saturday night. Damn. I wish I had long legs like yours.” She looked Olivia up and down, taking in her tall, lean frame.

“Oh, stop it, Kiera. You know you’re hot.” Olivia turned to look at herself in the large one-hundred-eighty degree mirror.

“Oh, I know that, but I wish I was taller. That’s all.” She grabbed a few pieces of jewelry off a nearby case and helped Olivia accent the dress. When she was done, Olivia stood draped in simple red jeweled accessories, contrasting perfectly with the deep champagne hue in the long elegant dress. Carefully stepping into a pair of champagne-colored heels, Olivia knew she had found the perfect dress.

“What do you think?” Kiera asked quietly as Olivia stared at her reflection.

“I feel like a princess.”

Kiera smiled, squeezing her friend’s arms. “Good. Let’s buy that dress and go have a drink.”

Olivia nodded.

A
FTER
THEIR
DAY
OF
shopping, Olivia returned to Alexander’s place, quickly running downstairs to one of the guest rooms and hiding her purchases in the massive closet. Runner followed, wondering what she was doing down there. “Come on, boy,” Olivia said, heading back upstairs. “Let’s start dinner while we wait for Daddy.”

Walking back into the kitchen, staring out through the large windows overlooking the waterfront, boats bobbing up and down in the distance, a strange feeling rushed over her. Everything seemed so perfect. She was happy. Smiling, she thought how far she had come since Alexander allowed her back into his life. As they slept together each night, Alexander wrapping his arms around her as she drifted off, she felt like she had finally found a home. Home was anywhere that Alexander was, and the thought both excited and frightened her.

She made her way to the large temperature controlled wine cave just off the kitchen to pick out a bottle for dinner. Looking at the clock, she wondered what was keeping Alexander in his office after six on a Friday night. Her mind started to race, thinking about all the possible reasons why he could be detained. After finding a nice pinot noir, she quickly retreated back to the kitchen to find her new cell phone.

Olivia:
Hey. Everything okay?

Several long moments passed with no response. What if something happened to him? Should she go to Martin’s condo on the lower floor to see if he knew anything? But if Martin was home, then Alexander would be home. He never went anywhere without Martin. Or, at least, she didn’t think he did. She really didn’t know. Making quick work of the cork, she poured herself a large glass of wine, needing the alcohol to calm her nerves.

Pacing back and forth, Runner close behind her every step of the way, Olivia quickly finished her first glass of wine. She looked at the clock…six-thirty. With shaking hands, she poured another large glass and walked to the windows, looking out over the city, her heart racing as she mentally ran through every possible scenario about why he wasn’t home yet. Finally, she heard her phone ding. Leaping over the couch, she grabbed it.

Alexander:
Sorry, love. Meeting ran late. Just need to finish a few things and then I’ll be home. I miss you terribly.

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as she typed a response.

Olivia:
Miss you, too. I was really worried something bad happened to you.

Her hands still shook uncontrollably as she raised her wine glass to her lips, hoping to calm her nerves. The thought of losing Alexander caused Olivia to panic. She couldn’t imagine life without him. Kiera’s words from earlier in the day replayed in her mind. Did she love him? Is that why she couldn’t control her rapid heartbeat at the thought of Alexander being ripped from her like everyone else in her life?

He’s okay
. Olivia had to keep repeating that phrase over and over again as she made her way back to the kitchen, grabbing what she needed to make her seafood risotto. As her heart began to slow, she decided that music would help cheer her mood a bit. She grabbed her iPad and started to stream music to Alexander’s surround sound system.

She put on one of her playlists as she busied herself preparing their meal for the evening. Runner sat by the kitchen island, patiently waiting for any crumbs that may come his way, watching as Olivia chopped onions and garlic before throwing it into the sauté pan. Cooking helped take her mind off her fear of losing Alexander. She thought she was over that, but now she wasn’t too sure.

~~~~~~~~~~

After receiving Olivia’s text that she was worried about him, Alexander bolted out of his office, feeling guilty for not having his phone with him during his meeting.

“Martin! Let’s go,” he shouted, walking briskly down the long corridor toward the elevator bank.

“Have a nice weekend, Mr. Burnham!” his receptionist called out as he scurried into an elevator with Martin.

The ride from his office building to the waterfront seemed unbelievably long. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around Olivia and tell her that she didn’t need to worry about him. He wasn’t going anywhere. Ever.

A few excruciatingly long minutes later, Alexander stepped into the foyer and punched in the door code. When he entered his penthouse, the sight that greeted him very nearly stopped his heart.

A smile spread across his face as he watched Olivia dance along to music blaring throughout his entire home. Runner greeted him at the door, but Olivia continued to remain blissfully ignorant of his presence. Alexander stood a few feet from her, staring, hoping she wouldn’t notice him just yet while he enjoyed the view of her perfect body moving to a driving beat, wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tight pink tank top.

Alexander listened to the song. It was clearly about sex. When Olivia sang about only getting off when in a certain position, he couldn’t help himself.

“I hope that’s not the case, love.”

“AAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!” Olivia screamed, jumping at the sound of a voice, ramming her back against a large pantry door. She clutched her chest, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. After several intense moments, she calmed down enough to see that it was Alexander. He leaned against the kitchen island, apparently enjoying the show, smiling, his dimples popping.

“Holy shit. You scared me,” she exhaled.

Alexander laughed as he stalked across the kitchen toward her, leaning his hand on the wall and placing a gentle kiss on her neck. She punched him in the arm. “Don’t ever creep up on me like that again. Jackass.”

He smiled, looking down at her, before his eyes grew intense. “But, seriously, you don’t only come when you’re on top, do you, Olivia?”

She stood on her toes, her mouth a mere breath away from his ear, sending shivers throughout his entire body. “You know that’s not the case,” she whispered before playfully smacking his ass and walking back to the stove to continue with the risotto.

Alexander walked up behind her and turned off the heat on the burner. “Humor me, love. I want to make sure,” he said, his voice deep with desire. He placed his hand possessively on her stomach and trailed kisses down the side of her neck. She moaned in response and felt him harden behind her. He lowered his hand under her yoga pants, finding that sweet spot, slipping two fingers inside of her. She thrust with his motion.

“This is mine,” he growled.

Olivia moaned.

“Do you understand, Olivia?” he asked as he continued to torture her, pushing in and out, his thumb brushing her clit.

She moaned again, unable to form any response. Heat coursed through her body as she melted with Alexander’s words. It was true. She was his in every way possible. Her heart, body, and soul belonged to him. No one ever came close to making her feel as whole and complete as Alexander did.

He swiftly lowered her pants and threw her over his shoulder, slapping her ass. She yelped in surprise, and he walked over to the couch, dropping her on her back. After ridding himself of his pants, he crawled on top of her, savagely entering her.