Chapter Fourteen #2
They still hadn’t heard from Edvin, and the crown prince’s continued absence had gone from strange to downright bizarre.
Before they left Gustav had checked in with the king, who had implied that Edvin would return soon.
The royal guard lurked somewhere out at sea, out of sight, and they would send an alert if anything changed.
But for now, it was just the two of them, and they would continue to sail.
The evening water was still, and the twilight of the sun caught the golden hues in Gustav’s hair. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and she reached across the table to stroke the beginning of a beard.
“I like this,” she said.
He gave her what she could only describe as a smirk. “I aim to please.”
And just like that, the attraction and desire that always seem to hum inside her whenever he was around turned to something stronger.
But they had time, she reminded herself, time to draw this out and enjoy the hum of her body as it turned from a want into a demand.
Because he answered it every single time. Thoroughly.
* * *
Two years later
Livia swam one more lap in their pool, then climbed out of the cool water into the warm sun.
She wiped her face with a towel, then walked to the glass panels that surrounded the pool deck.
The warm breeze swirled around her as she looked past the olive trees and lemon trees, down the stone steps that made a trail to the shore of their little island.
Gustav’s boat had returned. It was tied to their dock, swaying in the waves of the Aegean Sea.
He was home from his fishing expedition, and she was ready for supper.
She found him in the kitchen, laying lemon slices and wild herbs over fresh filets of fish.
“Welcome back,” she said. “I see you were successful.”
“I’m always successful when I set my mind to something,” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
He drizzled olive oil over the fish and slid the baking dish into the oven. Then he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. She pressed her body against his and made efforts to tame his windswept hair, all unsuccessful.
“Three more days on our own, and then the guests will begin to arrive,” she said softly.
The island house in Greece had become a vacation home for them, and they had built a separate place on the island for Adele to make her own.
But Adele and her parents had come to an understanding that meant her sister’s place could be a retreat between art school terms, not a safe house.
Livia had come to an understanding with her parents, too: If they wanted to spend time with her and any possible grandchildren in the future, they would leave her out of any of their social ambitions.
It had taken some mistakes and tense phone calls, but both her mother and her father finally accepted this reality. And just in time, Livia thought.
Gustav brushed his lips over hers.
“Your parents aren’t coming until next month, right?” he asked. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited two more guests, just for a few days.”
“Of course not. Who are they?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She might have pressed him on it, but it occurred to her that this was the opening she had been looking for. “Actually, I have a surprise of my own.”
He narrowed his eyes. “A good one?”
“I think so.”
His hands moved lower, over her wet skin. “Shall I torture you with pleasure until you tell me?”
She flushed as images of his particular brand of torture flashed through her mind. “Or I could tell you, and then you can proceed with torturing me.”
His gaze was fixed on her, intense and hot. She loved the way he looked at her, except now his gaze was turning into a mock glare of impatience. So Livia took a deep breath and told him what she had suspected for a few weeks. “I took a test this morning, and I’m pregnant.”
He stilled.
“I know we said we wouldn’t start trying until after I finished my degree,” she said quickly, “but it just happened, and well, I’m thrilled. I might take a semester or two off, but I’m not going to drop out this time, so—”
Before she could continue, he was kissing her.
His hands wove into the wet strands of her hair, and he showed her with his mouth just how happy he was.
She pulled away a little and gave him a tentative smile.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel. I know you wanted to make sure that nothing got in the way of my degree this time. ”
Gustav shook his head. “Livia, there is nothing that could make me happier than learning we are having a baby. And as for your degree, we will make sure it happens together. We’ll have help, and I’ll step back from some of my responsibilities and care for the baby.
I’ll make sure you have the time to finish school on your timeline. ”
Happiness bubbled inside her. Yes, this was the man she loved. She tried to imagine her husband holding a baby and was surprised to find that she could see it. Gustav would put all his attention into learning to be a father, the way that he attended to everything else he truly wanted.
“Thank you,” she whispered and brushed her lips against his. “Now I’m ready to be tortured with pleasure.”
* * * * *