Chapter 27 #2
“Yeah, I’m coming. Just finishing up a few business issues with Jaxon.” I start toward her, looking back at him. “I’ll keep you updated, but I expect you to do the same.”
“Done.” He gazes in Livianna’s direction. “Bye, Livianna. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I’m sure I can handle everything, but if I…” Her smile fades. “You know, I’ll take you up on your offer. You helped me get where I am today. I’m sure you’ll be able to bring me up to speed just as fast as anyone else.”
It’s with those words I shudder. As much as I wanna keep them apart, it’s not in her company's best interest.
The fact is, Jaxon knows more about how she became so successful. If I step in to stop them from working together, it’ll just push her closer to him.
She might not remember the last five years, but she’s still Livianna. Stubborn and determined.
“We’re home.” I turn off the car.
We’re in the driveway of her Pacific Palisades mansion. I’m not thrilled about moving out of my house, but being with her is more important.
Her pops put his foot down when I mentioned she wanted to move in together. He insisted she’s safer in this house, and I have to agree. The neighborhood is guarded and her security system is better than mine.
Livianna climbs out of the car with her new phone clutched in her hand, already tapping at the screen as we walk toward the front door. I grab the shopping bag with her new case and charger. Her brow furrows deeper as she fiddles with her phone.
“This doesn’t make any sense.” She stops on the front steps. “I’m trying to restore my phone from my iCloud backup, but it keeps saying my account doesn’t exist.”
My stomach drops. I didn’t think about that. If she connects to her account, there’s bound to be parts of her missing history laid out for her to uncover.
I try to calm my racing heart with leveled breathing. “Maybe you’re using a different email than you think.”
“I tried every variation I can remember.” She peeks up at me. “Nothing works.”
I unlock the front door and gesture for her to go inside. “You’ve been through a lot, Lily. Maybe you changed it when you went from Livianna Grace Designs to Lehlani Rose Designs.”
“But that’s the thing.” She follows me into the living room and sinks onto the cream sofa, still staring at her phone as if she can get it to work through sheer force of will. “Why would I close my iCloud account? All my photos, my contacts, my music—everything would’ve been on there.”
“People change accounts all the time.” I set the shopping bag on the coffee table and try to keep my voice casual. “Maybe you wanted a fresh start.”
“A fresh start from what? I don’t understand why I would delete years of my life like that. It doesn’t make sense, Callum.”
I lower myself onto the sofa beside her. “What if you just set up a new account now? Start fresh with this phone.”
“And lose everything?” She shakes her head. “No. There has to be a way to recover it.”
“Lily, maybe it’s best if you don’t.”
She studies me. “Why? What are you afraid I’ll see?”
“Honestly, we weren’t in a good place for a while. I don’t want you to find proof of that and mess up what we’re building now.”
“Callum, I love you.” She scoots closer to me. “Don’t worry about that changing just because I want to discover more about my past.”
I weave our fingers together and kiss the top of her hand. “I’m just saying, maybe it’s best if you leave that part of your life behind you.”
“Are you afraid of what I’ll uncover?”
“Yes.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “I’d like you to tell me why we broke up.”
“We’ve been through that already.”
“Not in detail. All I know is you said you let people manipulate you. How did you do that?”
“Lily…” I search her eyes, trying to believe she’ll love me no matter what. “The doctor said to let information come to you, not force you to remember. I’m trying to honor that.”
She rests her head on the back of the couch. “Fine. I guess it doesn’t matter.”
I reach for her, sliding my arm around her neck. “All that matters is we’re together now, and it’s the only thing I’ve wanted since the day you left me.”
“Then prove it.” She closes the space between us, glancing at my lips.
My heart rate speeds up the second she presses against me and kisses me like there’s no tomorrow. It’s easy to forget everything else.
She pushes me down, climbing on top of me. My arms go around her. I breathe in her perfume and almost lose it. She smells like heaven.
I break away. “Fuck, Lily. We’ve gotta stop.”
“Why?” She straddles me and rocks over my erection. “There’s no reason to keep putting off the inevitable. Unless…”
I swallow hard. “Unless what?”
She tilts her head, her brows narrowing. “You don’t want me anymore.”
“Pfft. It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“You’re still healing.”
“I know what I can handle, and sex is one of those things.” She stills herself. “I’m starting to believe—”
“Don’t even go there. The truth is, I want you more than ever before. It’s just…” I stare into her eyes. What the fuck am I waiting for? It’s gonna happen and I know it. “Kiss me.”
The smile that beams down on me is all it takes to get me to cave. She’s not gonna stop until she gets what she wants. But a part of me wonders if she would want this if she had her memory.
That thought gets lost as soon as she lies back on top of me and runs her palm up my shirt. Her touch sets every nerve ending on fire. I need her closer, need to feel her without the barrier of clothes.
“Upstairs.” My voice comes out rough. “I wanna do this right.”
She climbs off me and extends her hand. I take it and follow her up the curved staircase, admiring the way her hips sway with each step. My pulse races.
When we reach her bedroom, she heads straight for the walk-in closet. “Give me a second to change into something more comfortable.”
“Take your time.” I glance around as she leaves my sight.
She has candles around the room, so I light them. It’s not dark out, so I’m not sure what good it’ll do, but I want this to be special.
So many years of wanting her.
Fuck. I hope I don’t let her down.
I sink onto the edge of her bed and try not to think about anything but her. Years of dreaming about this moment and it’s finally here.
She emerges wearing a black lace lingerie set and her hair pulled into a messy bun. She’s so fucking beautiful in that devastating way that makes my chest ache.
“Fucking hell, vixen. You’re killing me.”
“I guess that means you approve.” She climbs onto the bed and straddles me.
“More than approve.” I slide my hands up her thighs, absorbing the heat of her skin.
She leans down and captures my mouth with hers, kissing me with an urgency that makes my entire body respond. I flip us over so she’s beneath me, caging her in with my arms.
Her breath comes in quick gasps as I trail kisses down her neck, her collarbone, and the valley between her breasts.
“Callum…” My name on her lips is all it takes to pull me under.
I move back to take her in. I wanna remember every part of this—those blue eyes dark with want, her lips swollen from our kisses, and her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath.
She’s perfect, and she’s mine. For now, she is, and she wants this.
“Lily, I need you to know something.” I brush a strand of hair from her face. “I’ve loved you since the second I first saw you. Nothing about that has changed. Not the years apart, not the mistakes I made, not anything.”
She reaches up and cups my face in her hands. “I believe you, and I think we should make up for lost time.”