40. Olive
40
OLIVE
W hen I land, I can’t get my parachute off fast enough. That was the most exhilarating experience of my life. As I glided through the open sky, every negative thought and memory vanished from my body and mind. I feel liberated and excited about the new life that’s waiting for me.
Leo marches toward me and I meet him halfway. Before I can say anything, he grabs me in a hug and whispers in my ear, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say. “So much.”
My instructor taps me on the shoulder while we’re hugging, telling us we need to leave. I thank him for everything, and Leo urges me along.
“Are we done here yet? I really need you naked.” He doesn’t care who hears him.
“You read my mind, but I’m way ahead of you. The gang knows that we’re going straight to the hotel and won’t see them until tomorrow.” I feel bad leaving them, but they were cool about it when I explained everything to them. “Now tell me which hotel we’re staying in.”
* * *
I couldn’t tell you what the hotel lobby looked like or what our room number was. Leo and I had one mission, and that was to get to our room as fast as possible.
With our mouths sealed in a kiss, he kicks the door shut behind us. I pull his shirt out of his pants and lift it. He removes it and tosses it to the side, his hair wild from before. My shirt and bra are the next to go. The rest of our clothes are off seconds later.
This will be quick because I need him now. We can take it slow after. As if he can read my mind, he sweeps me up like he has the strength of the Hulk, and I wrap my legs around him, his arousal obvious. I trail open-mouthed kisses down one side of his neck and then up the other, sucking gently under his ear. He marches us through a set of doors to a massive bedroom with a ginormous bed.
He lays me carefully onto it and is on top of me an instant later. “I want to take my time, but I can’t wait,” he says, nuzzling my neck.
“I don’t want it slow.” With all my strength, I flip us until I’m on top.
His eyes turn dark with lust, making my entrance throb. Then his hands trace my bare skin from my back all the way down, gripping my ass as I grind against him. I quiver from his bold touch and adjust my position. Spurred on by desire, I slowly lower myself onto his length. We both moan from the sweetest relief after waiting a month for this.
“You’re so damn warm and tight. I’ve missed this. Missed you ,” he says, voice strained and rough.
I capture his mouth as I gyrate my hips. He grips my thighs, controlling the rhythm of our movements. Our breaths grow ragged and moaning fills the air around us. He sucks my nipple, triggering an orgasm that floods my body with intense pleasure, leaving me breathless. Leo flips us over and thrusts deeper until his body tenses and he releases a throaty cry.
We wrap our arms around each other and catch our breath. Neither of us speaks as we bask in the afterglow. I already knew we had a future, but after today, he’s the one I want to lie in bed with every day.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” I whisper against his cheek. “I love you so much.”
He lifts his head, his face beaming. “Me too. You’re the love of my life. I thought my chance to be this happy and excited was long gone. Thank you for today…for everything.”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“Like move to Orcas Island?” he says, hope in his voice.
Without hesitation, I say, “Yes.”
His face lights up. “Seriously? I threw that out there, not expecting an answer.”
We wiggle our way under the covers, then face each other. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about us, about our future. Before I came to San Francisco, I went to LA. That’s where I rented the Audi.”
He lifts onto his forearm. “Wait a second. You went to LA and then drove here by yourself?”
“Sure did, and I loved every minute of it. It was therapeutic.”
“Damn, girl! You’re full of surprises. I can picture you hot-rodding it down the highway. So sexy.” He pecks my lips, then lies back down. God, I’ve missed this man. “With the way you’ve been acting today, is it safe to assume it went well?”
“It did, but it was difficult. I cried a lot, as usual.” I tell him about seeing Adele and visiting the hospital and visiting where I’d lived. “I can put it behind me now. I won’t work in a hospital again, but—” I tell him how Adele quit her job too and where she’s working now. “It gives me hope that I can utilize my knowledge and experience somewhere else. Now if I could only figure out where.”
“You’ll find something, and I’ll be at your side along the way.”
I scoot closer to him. “Thank you for understanding and for being patient.”
“If anybody should understand what you’re going through, it’s me. I’ve been wondering myself where or when I can sing and dance again. Change is good, but it’s a mental game too. And since we’re having this heart-to-heart, tell me what you really think. Should I take the manager’s job at the hotel?”
“That’s not for me to say. Deep down, only you know what you want.” I tap the skin over his heart. “So you tell me what it is.”
“I want to take it. It’s time to be with my family again, and I love working at the hotel. I’ll need to find another place to live. Can you picture yourself with me there? Would you be happy? There are things you need to think about. It’s an island. You’ll always have to take a ferry to the mainland. It’s a lot quieter than LA or Seattle. You’ll be far away from your family.”
“I’ve gone through all the pros and cons with my therapist and Andy. And no matter what, everything leads me to you.”
“How about I tell my mom I’ll do it for two years? Then we can reevaluate the situation. What do you think?”
“That sounds perfect. You really don’t know how you’ll feel living there permanently again.” He nods in agreement. “Other than your mom, though, let’s keep it to ourselves for now, maybe until after Corey’s memorial. I’m not ready to deal with my mom yet.”
“Let’s not talk about her. No time for negativity.” He taps my thigh. “Let’s get cleaned up and order some food. Then I want to hear how you got everyone there today. Especially Sully.”
I didn’t have to do much. As soon as I told them my idea, they were on board. Sully wasn’t supposed to come, but when I told him the plan, he was in too. Everyone loves Leo and would do anything for him. It makes my heart burst with love, knowing how much they care.
Andy and Sam hit it off immediately when they met the night before Leo arrived in San Francisco. Andy and Tonya are another story. Tonya won’t put up with his flirty bullshit, but that doesn’t deter him in the least. If he’s not flirting, they’re arguing. At one point, their quiet bickering annoyed the hell out of us. Sully sat between them to shut them up. I’m curious how the Super Bowl party will go tomorrow.
Leo helps me out of the bed, and I actually stagger when my feet hit the floor. My legs feel like rubber. “I want to explore this gorgeous hotel room. Someone had me pretty occupied when we got here.”
“Sorry, not sorry.” He traces his fingers up my sides, giving me goosebumps. “It’s the perks of my job.”
“I’d give this bedroom a five out of five. Let’s go test the shower. I want to clean you up and then make you dirty all over again.” I pull him out of the room, not a care in the world.
“You are one sexy woman,” Leo purrs. “Damn, I’m lucky!”