Chapter 11
11
DYLAN
T he city lights flicker in the reflection of Liv’s eyes, as we walk down the bustling street on New Year’s Eve. Her silky curls bounce with each step, and I’m struck by how effortlessly beautiful she is in her emerald-green dress. The days since Christmas have flown by like magic, and I can’t believe it’s the end of the year.
“Do we have to go back to reality soon?” she quietly whines, and I give her hand a subtle squeeze.
Her doe-eyed gaze meets mine with a mix of excitement and worry swirling in its depths. “I know, but we’ve been living in our own little holiday bubble for over a week,” I whisper. “We can’t stay here forever.” I silently wish we could while we walk alongside Carol, heading to an upscale restaurant downtown.
“Honestly, Dylan, I’m shocked you were able to get a table for tonight. They’re usually booked for weeks.” Carol glances at me as I escort her and Liv inside.
“I might’ve done some name-dropping to get us in, but at least it worked.”
The hostess confirms our reservation, then shows us to a quiet table in the back.
Throughout dinner, I can’t help but reflect on how seamlessly Liv and I fit into each other’s lives. The conversation flows easily between us, punctuated by laughter and the clinking of glasses. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been this way when we first met, and I’m grateful things played out the way they did for us to arrive here at this exact moment.
As we finish our desserts, I turn to Carol. “Are you sure you won’t join us to watch the ball drop?”
She shakes her head with a thoughtful smile on her lips. “Oh, honey, I’d love to, but I’ve got an early volunteer shift at the hospital tomorrow. You two go enjoy yourselves.”
We finish our meal and accompany Carol back to the car, watching her drive off before we head to a New Year’s Eve party. It’s an exclusive event, held at a private club on the top two floors of one of the high-rises downtown. Sipping glasses of champagne, we mostly keep to ourselves while we enjoy the live music and observe the city lights below us.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” I twirl a smooth strand of Liv’s hair around my fingers.
“Only about a thousand times.” She giggles as she leans into me.
“I’ll tell you a thousand times more, and it’ll still never be enough.”
She sets her empty glass on the waiter’s tray as he passes by us, before turning back to me and resting her palms on my chest. I’m sure she can feel my heart racing beneath her hands, as it always does whenever I’m with her.
“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” she asks. “I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and realize none of this is real.”
I pull her in close and press my lips to hers, holding her in place while I savor this moment. “You aren’t dreaming, baby. This is very real. We are real.”
“Of course, we’re real.” She smiles and rolls her eyes.
“No, I mean us. This .” I gesture between us with my hand. “You and me and everything we’ve shared over the last ten days. I’ve never felt anything like it and I never will. I didn’t even think I could.” And that’s the God’s honest truth. I didn’t know what love was until I met her, and I can’t imagine this is what it would be like with anyone else.
Liv’s gaze sears into mine. “Dylan, I—” Her voice is drowned out when the crowd begins to chant.
“Ten, nine, eight…”
Our eyes lock and I can feel the electricity between us.
“Seven, six, five…”
My hands cup her face as we count down to midnight.
“Four, three, two…”
“One! Happy New Year!” she yells. Then our lips meet in a long-awaited kiss, surrounded by cheers and a spectacular display of fireworks over the city.
I realize that this is just the beginning. The start of a new journey in life that I’m going to spend with her. A journey filled with love and happiness, two things I used to believe I didn’t deserve.
Our kiss quickly turns fiery, perfectly timed with the explosion of sparkling lights in the sky. Bright colors splash across the night, reflecting in our eyes as we become lost in each other until everyone in the room slowly fades away.
But then, a sudden flash disrupts us, and we glance around the room to find the source.
“Did someone just take our picture?” Liv asks, confused.
I scan the crowd, trying to find where the burst of light came from. “Probably just someone capturing the celebration,” I assure her. “This is a pretty swanky party. I’m sure there’s a photographer around here somewhere.”
She nods, but I can see the flicker of concern in her eyes.
Determined to chase away any doubts, I pull her back into another scorching kiss. That is, until my dick becomes rock hard, and the thin fabric of my dress slacks fails miserably at hiding it.
“Come on, baby,” I whisper against her lips, nudging my cock against her hip. “Let’s go home so we can ring in the New Year properly.”
Her eyes darken with desire as she eagerly nods.
I text my driver to pick us up, and it’s all I can do to keep my dick in my pants on the short drive back to Carol’s estate. We may be going home tomorrow, but I’m in love with this girl, and she’s all mine now.
It was hard to say goodbye to Carol, much harder than I expected it to be. I’m grateful she doesn’t have any ill feelings toward me, and I truly understand now why my father wanted to be with her. Any man would be lucky to have a great woman like her.
But in true Bruce Kane fashion, he fucked it up. I’m just thankful his ex-wife doesn’t hold the hurt and pain my father caused against me. I wasn’t expecting her to be so kind and generous to me, but then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Liv is incredible. And solely judging by the amazing girl she raised, I should’ve known Carol would welcome me with open arms and treat me like her own. I just hope she still feels that way when she learns that I’m in love with her daughter.
As we drive back to the city, I feel a sense of dread settle in my stomach. The last ten days have been nothing short of perfection as we celebrated the holidays and I explored every inch of Liv’s body. I marked her inside and out with my touch, my kiss, and my cum. So much cum.
But more importantly, I hope that I’m embedded in her heart the same way that she’s embedded in mine.
I glance down at our intertwined fingers as our hands rest on the center console. I wish I could freeze this moment while my heart aches at the thought of dropping her off at her apartment. She belongs with me now. And I’ll make sure she knows it.
“I’ll take you to your place, but then you’re coming over to mine,” I declare.
Liv’s head whips to the side when she looks at me. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t spend the night away from you. Not after having you writhing and moaning my name every night for almost two weeks.”
She blushes prettily.
“Come home with me,” I urge.
She chews on the corner of her lip while she thinks, making her look adorable. “How about you drop me off—” I immediately disapprove of her suggestion with a grunt. “Jeez, grumpy, let me finish.” She giggles as I pout. “How about you drop me off so I can unpack and get a few things together? Then I’ll come over around seven? And if you’re a good boy, I might even stay the night.” She gives me a sassy smirk.
“I’m always good, baby. Just you wait and see.” I lift our joined hands to my lips and plant a loud kiss to the back of her hand.
As we pull up to her building, I park out front, then help her with her suitcase in the trunk. Standing on the sidewalk, I lean down to kiss her goodbye. It’s soft and sweet, but leaves me wanting more.
“You’re not gonna walk me to my door?” She blinks at me with raised eyebrows.
“Any other time, you know I would. But if I get close to your front door, I’m going inside with you and neither of us is coming out.”
“Oh! Well?—”
“Nope. You wanted some time to get your things together, so now you have it.”
“You’re no fun.” Liv sulks.
I grip her by the waist and roughly tug her body against mine. “I promise you all the fun when you get to my place. A whole fucking night of it.”
She melts into me and I press my lips against hers. Our kiss is long and slow, but soon turns heated and my cock begins to harden.
“You better go before I follow you in there.”
She smiles at me with a dreamy expression on her face. “Okay. I’ll see you soon though.” One more peck on the lips. Then she turns to head inside.
I playfully swat her plump ass before I watch her walk away, her curves accentuated by her tight jeans. That’s a sight that I’ll never get tired of.
After dragging my suitcase into my room and taking a quick shower, I start prepping dinner. My mind races with thoughts of Liv and getting her naked body in my bed. With the chicken marinating, I’m about to put the asparagus in the oven when my phone rings and a smile instantly spreads across my face.
“Hey, beautiful.” My tone is low and sensual when I answer the call without even bothering to look at the screen. But instead of Liv’s voice on the other end of the line, it’s my father’s stern reprimand that greets me.
“Dylan,” he begins coldly. “Care to explain why you’re making headlines?”
My stomach drops as his words slice through me like ice. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, son,” he snaps. “I’ve only ever asked one thing of you. Don’t ruin my reputation . And now this?”
Frustration builds as I try to understand what he’s accusing me of. “Honestly, Dad, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Check your texts,” he growls. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this. And with her, of all people.”
Confused and annoyed, I check my messages and click on the link he’s sent. The headline hits me like a punch to the gut.
Billionaire Tech Heir is Dating His Sister.
“It’s not what you think.” My throat is tight while I try to explain. “Liv and I are dating, yes, but she’s not my sister. She never was.”
“Do you have any idea how this looks?” he shouts. “This could ruin everything I’ve built!” His words sting, reminding me once again that his business and his reputation will always come before me.
“Is that all you care about? Your precious image?”
“Don’t you dare take that tone with me,” he threatens. “I’ll tell Carol about this little affair of yours. Does she know you’re sleeping with her daughter? She always thought of you as a son, so I have no doubt she’ll be just as disgusted as I am.”
Would she, though?
The thought gives me pause. Because not only do I want to preserve our recently repaired relationship, I don’t want to cause problems for her and her daughter. But no matter what, I’m not letting Liv go.
“And don’t forget I control your trust fund, Dylan. You want that final payment when you turn thirty? Then you’ll end this nonsense immediately.”
My blood boils at his ultimatum, and I want to throw my phone across the room. “I don’t care about the money. I won’t walk away from her.”
As my father continues his tirade, ranting and raving through the line, there’s a knock at the door. I open it and exhale a shallow sigh of relief. Liv is standing on the other side, her smile fading as she takes in my distress. My father is still yelling when I hang up the phone without uttering another word.
She steps inside, concern etched on her beautiful face. “What’s wrong?”
I take a deep breath, dreading the conversation we’re about to have. What if this is too much for her? What if I lose her before we’ve even really begun?
My heart threatens to pound out of my chest. “We need to talk.”