Chapter 40
Olívia is standing with her back to me in the shower—my shower—and the scene feels damn right.
The water cascades over her as if it needs to wash away everything she’s been through today.
I strip off my shirt, pants, and boxer briefs, and I think she hears me, but she doesn’t turn.
When I join her, the hot spray envelops us, trapping us in our own world.
“Let me do this,” I say, taking the soap from her hands and rubbing her back, the delicious curve of her raised buttocks, and her soft thighs. Unable to resist, I bend down and bite one of her cheeks.
When I turn her to face me, what I see takes my breath away.
Confidence. Surrender.
She’s giving me everything.
Olívia has never been more mine than in this moment.
Still kneeling, I reach behind her and turn off the shower. She remains silent, as if sensing my need for her.
I kiss her thigh, and her legs part.
Without touching her with my hands, I move closer and inhale her scent. The perfume overwhelms my senses, seeping under my skin. I lift one of her legs, resting it on my shoulder, and part her lips. Her hands come to my hair as she leans back against the wall.
At the first touch of my mouth, she trembles and moans, begging for more.
I invade her body with tongue and fingers, taking what I need and offering what I have. I’m in no hurry. I could savor my woman forever.
When she collapses in my arms, I scoop her up, both of us still wet, and carry her to the bedroom.
I lie back on the bed, pulling her over me. I’m eager to possess her, but right now, I need her to know how cherished she is.
“How are you?” I ask.
“Confused. Do you really think it was Kathleen?”
“I do.”
“Out of jealousy over you?”
“I think so. You asked me why I transferred her. The truth is, she’d been acting inappropriately.”
Olívia lifts her head and smiles, even though her eyes are still swollen from earlier tears. “I’m your secretary, and I’m guilty of plenty of inappropriate behavior with my boss too. And you don’t even know about my thoughts.”
I steal a kiss. “That’s different. I’ve been attracted to you since that first day in the café.”
“Was that why you hired me?”
“No. I wanted to take care of you.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of.”
“I know, but I want to do it anyway.”
“I don’t want to be just another item on your to-do list, Guillermo, or be added to a list of tasks like you do with your brothers. I can take care of myself. If you want a relationship, even if you’re afraid of getting hurt, I’ll go along with it, but I won’t accept being treated like a trinket.”
“I don’t doubt your ability to take care of yourself, Olívia. That’s not why I stepped in today.”
“I know. I was kind of catatonic today, but I recover quickly. I’m not sad anymore, but I’m damn angry.”
I laugh because she seems a little crazy right now. “Angry, huh?”
“Yes. I’m not an aggressive person, but I feel like slapping that conceited blonde. Who does she think she is to play with my life like this?”
“God, you look delicious when you’re angry. It almost makes me want to provoke you just to bring out that anger.”
“You’re crazy,” she says, but she’s smiling. “Will you really talk to the press tomorrow? Why?”
“We will. Joaquín has probably already released the footage of Charlotte putting the wallet in your bag. That, coupled with the fact that the news channels probably know by now that we’re together, will quickly overshadow the videos that were made of your arrest at the hotel.”
“But it will make you a target for the tabloids. When your wife died, I don’t remember reading anything related to your family name, which tells me that you stay away from gossip.”
“You didn’t read about my last name after Layla’s death because my lawyers worked hard to keep us away from the scandal, but now it’s different.”
“How so?”
“If what I need to do to prove your innocence is shout from the rooftops that you’re mine, I’ll do it.”
“You sounded like a caveman just now,” she teases. “I own you, Olívia,” she says, mimicking my voice.
“I’m trying to get into the role of the hot CEO from your romance novels. I don’t want to disappoint you, baby.”
“You don’t need to try very had. You’re a delight and also a CEO. Just a few more phrases like that one just now and you’ll be a hundred percent within expectations.”
“Girl, you’re so cheeky.” I kiss her mouth and then her entire face.
“The day I went to your house, the doorman called you a ray of sunshine. Never has a nickname fit so perfectly, Olívia. You are my ray of sunshine. I can’t imagine anyone else going through this sordid incident and still being able to smile. ”
“I’ve dealt with worse, Guillermo. I watched my mother die without being able to do anything but stay by her side. It won’t be some jealous woman who defeats me.”
Caldwell-Oviedo Tower Hotel
I can feel her nervousness flowing in waves.
We’re standing in the hotel’s conference room after being instructed by our lawyers on what we can say and which questions we should ignore.
There’s a lectern separating us from where the reporters from the top celebrity magazines are seated, and I shake her hand, which is cold and clammy, trying to make her relax.
Immediately, Olívia looks at me, leaning toward me, albeit unconsciously.
Her vulnerability hits me hard, and forgetting where we are, I cup her face and kiss her lips. “It’ll be fine, little firecracker.”
Only when I notice some commotion in my peripheral vision do I remember that the microphone was already on.
When I look at the reporters, I could almost swear that the female section is sighing.
And then, it’s like the floodgates of hell have been opened, with a confusion of voices hurling questions, making my family lunches seem like a poetry recital in comparison.
“Little firecracker? Is that her nickname? Can you tell us more about that, Guillermo?”
Jesus Christ!
I hear a snort of laughter, and I realize it comes from Olívia.
At least my blunder served some purpose. Before I can think about how to respond, she takes the lead.
“Guillermo thinks I’m restless,” she says, smiling, and to me, that’s what matters.
“She’s perfect,” I say.
An “ohhhhhh” is heard, as if that was the right answer. I only stated the facts. Olívia is perfect for me.
The conference has been going on for about twenty minutes, and I’m ready to wrap it up when a reporter says, “So, Guillermo, can we start thinking about gala attire for the big day? Is there a wedding on the horizon soon?”
Olívia intervenes again. “We have to go. His schedule is full today.”
She’s offering me an out, and given the size of the secret I hold between us, I accept it because right now, any answer I give will be wrong.
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Our meeting is adjourned,” my public relations officer announces.
“I’ll spend the night at the hotel.”
“No, I’ll take you out to dinner, and then we’ll come home.”
“I don’t think I should. I need to think.”
“Don’t run away from us.”
“I’m not running away, but my peaceful life just turned into a reality show. I went from being your employee or secret lover, or whatever we were, to your overnight girlfriend. I can’t process all these changes.”
“Don’t overthink it.”
She sighs. “Any news about Kathleen?” she asks, changing the subject.
“She didn’t come to work today. She sent a notice to HR saying she’s got a cold. Anyway, we’d put her on paid leave already.”
“How convenient.”
“Have I told you that you’re really hot when you’re angry?”
She stares at me, seeming torn between kissing me and hitting me, and I decide for her, pulling her close by the nape of her neck.
When we part, she’s completely disarmed. “I’m scared. Everything that’s happening is too much, you know?”
“I know, and that’s why we’re leaving town.”
“Leaving?”
“That’s right. You, me, and Nina. What do you think?”
She’s very transparent. Immediately, her beautiful eyes sparkle like two sapphires. “A trip?”
“Yes. A weekend away from the world. Just the three of us. I have a cottage in Westminster. Pack a bag. Let’s live a little.”
“Aren’t you afraid of damaging your reputation?”
“Do I have a reputation?”
“You do. Ruthless gentleman who never smiles and works more hours than there are in a day.”
I slap her butt. “I’ll take the risk.”