“Last night I got my workout in by riding a hot, tatted man. Since that’s not happening tonight, and I didn’t get to the gym, I could use the exercise.”
“Okay, only if you’re sure. Let me know if you need help.”
Aubrey leaves, and I let out a long breath as the door clicks. I feel my way out of the ensuite, whispering, “Livy?”
“Here, but that was a close one.” I swear I can feel her without her even touching me.
I reach out, the back of my hand brushing her stomach, and she sucks in a breath, gripping my wrist. “If you want me to go, I’ll go.”
“You’re not going to sleep in the lobby when the heat could give out at any time. It’s fine, I’ll just let Aubrey know that you’re here. I trust her with my life; she won’t say anything.”
My security team is also discreet, and I should let Tim know I’m here. I don’t want to be her dirty little secret, but she’s right that if it ever got out, there would be gossip. She releases my wrist, and as my eyes adjust to the dark, I can make out her silhouette. It’s just the two of us. No one would know if I held her in my arms, so that’s exactly what I do. She melts into me as if no time has passed, wrapping her arms around my middle. I instinctively kiss the top of her head, but in an instant, she jolts back a step, making me stumble.
“I fucking hate this.” Her voice is shaky, full of fear and entirely too much sadness for my liking.
“Hate what?”
“This,” she reiterates. “Do you not understand that I never got closure when we were together. Every time I’m reminded that this can’t happen for years, my heart breaks all over again.”
“Livy, I?—”
“No. Please don’t feel sorry for me.”
“I don’t. If you had let me finish, I was going to tell you that I never got closure either. Mostly because I never stopped loving you.”
“Isaac,” she breathes, barely above a whisper.
Reaching for her hand, I bring it to my heart. “I’ve told you a hundred times, I never should’ve left New York, and should’ve followed you to California.” Lifting her palm to my lips, I press a single kiss to it. “I love you, so fucking much.”
Livy presses closer, resting her chin on my chest, and I can almost make out her features, but her expression is still unreadable. Cupping her hand on my cheek, she guides me to her until my nose brushes hers. As her lips touch mine, my heart swells against my ribcage. I’ll never get enough of her soft touches.
There’s a knock at the door, startling both of us. “Livy?” I step back, and she answers the door to Aubrey as I slink away. “Before I go downstairs, I figured you could use something. I forgot to unpack my bag from my trip last weekend.” Handing Olivia something, she adds, “Just keep it away from Isaac.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see when you open it,” Aubrey muses.
She’s about to leave when Olivia rushes out, “There’s something you should know.”
“Do I even want to ask?”
“There weren’t enough rooms at the hotel, so Isaac was going to sleep in the lobby.”
“He’s the fucking Prime Minister. Why the hell didn’t someone give up their room for him? Wait… don’t tell me he’s in there with you right now.”
“Then I won’t tell you that,” Livy hedges.
“Livy, so help me, if you get caught…”
“We won’t, I promise.”
“And no fucking. I need to sleep.”
Aubrey leaves, and as the door clicks shut, I pull out my phone to light a path to her. “What did she drop off?”
She gently grips my wrist to angle the phone flashlight, then opens the box, reading aloud, “Skin-safe massage candle. What is a massage candle?”
Fuck Aubrey’s warning, I’m going to have entirely too much fun with my babygirl tonight.
