“How many?” she snaps.

“None.”

She looks up at me and the sight of her face is almost enough to make me falter and forget the whole situation. “But you already knew that, so why are you upset?”

She glances down at her hands. “Because—”

“Because a girl I had sex with in the past approached us at dinner? Because I walked her away from the table because I could see how much she was upsetting you?” I unfold my arms. “I couldn’t give two shits about that girl and it hurts that you think she means anything to me.” I quickly rake my fingers through my hair. I need her to believe that the girl was—is—nothing to me. “She was as much a stranger to me as she was to you.”

I approach the bed and drop to my knees in front of her. Her body is tense, waiting for me to do something. I glide my hands up her smooth calves and up the sides of her thighs. Her gorgeous green eyes lock onto mine and the intensity of it makes my heart speed up.

“What more can I say? Did I have sex with that girl? Yes, twice, but I can tell you with one hundred percent honesty that I don’t even remember how the sex was—I don’t remember my sex life before you anymore. I don’t. You are my resolution, O. You are the person I’m here with—the person I choose to be here with.” I grip her, pulling her closer to me. “I love you. I fucking love you more than you’ll ever know and I know tonight hurt you, but I swear to God I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

Her eyes flick between mine as she soaks in what I said.

“I can’t even tell you her name,” I add, sincerely. “But I can tell you your name.” I feel my lips twitch. “I can tell you your favorite color, favorite food, favorite book and your favorite brand of perfume. I can download your favorite song right now and not think twice about it. I know you like I’ve never known anyone else.” I inch closer, bringing my face to hers. “If I could go back and change things, I would, without a doubt. But I can’t. So, all I’m asking is for you to trust me. I could never and would never hurt you like that. Ever. You’re good and you deserve good. I know I’m far from it, but what I am is all I have to offer you. If you want me, you get everything—my problems, my passions, my past—everything.”

I don’t need a response from her to know she’s happy with what I said and I get the reaction I want from the feel of her fingertips grazing up my arms.

Olivia is the kind of person that shuts off whenever she’s upset. She won’t touch or talk. She prefers solitude, to wallow in her own thoughts. Fuck that. The thought of leaving her alone for a second when she’s upset kills me and it’s even worse when I know I’m the one who made her upset in the first place. There’s no filter on my mouth or my actions. I do it and watch the chemicals react. It’s a science experiment, really.

O’s fingers curl around my collar and she pulls me onto the bed. I willingly follow, neglecting to kick off my shoes. Her soft, alluring body molds perfectly to mine, and I love how soft and feminine she is. I lower my mouth to hers and I can feel her breath quick and nervous on my face, but before I touch, I tell her: “I fucking love you with everything I have…and I won’t take anything less from you.”

“And I love you.”

I run my hand over the top of her head, smoothing the dark locks as I look her in the eyes. “Tell me how much you love me.”

I want to hear it. I want her to use ridiculous metaphors and lame lines. I need it. I need to be reassured because I will not fucking lose her, not tonight.

Her gaze flicks nervously over my face. “I can’t…”

I feel my eyebrows draw together. “Why?”

“Because there are no words that describe what I feel for you.” She swallows hard. “I can tell you I love you to the moon and back, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not enough. I can tell you I love you to the next universe and back and the distance still isn’t enough to describe how I feel. I love you. I love you more than any word, any object, any emotion and any measure of distance this life can ever depict.”

Olivia’s wide green eyes remain locked on mine and she clears her throat. “I overreacted…” The corner of her delicious mouth twitches. “Maybe, but it’s only because I love you and you’re mine.”

I agree. “I am yours.”

Lines carve their way through her otherwise smooth face, like she wants to get something off her chest. “I don’t want other girls touching you.”

She catches her plump bottom lip between her teeth and releases it, lighting my body up like a goddamn Christmas tree. Olivia has always played indifferent when it comes to girls until now and the thought of her claiming me sets my body alight with fiery passion. She hitches her thigh over my hip, pressing me into her.

“I don’t like hearing your name on other girls’ lips.” Her fingers snake around my collar and she draws my head closer until her lips graze my ear. “Your name coming out in excited gasps should only fall from my lips and the lips of your spectators, not random girls in restaurants.”

Her tone is aggressive and possessive—a tone I never thought I’d hear come from my sweet ‘do what she’s told’ Olivia. I want to unbutton my shirt so I can breathe a little easier, but I wait and watch, looking forward to what she’s going to say next. Her eyes narrow. “You will not disappear with another girl ever again. Even if I’m crying and my chest is hiccupping with sobs, you will not fucking leave me.”

I open my mouth to agree with anything she wants, but she yanks on my neck, stopping my words from forming and pulling my lips hard against her own. Her hands push hard against my chest and I let her roll me over onto my back. She straddles me, her warm center hovering directly over my length that presses hard against my slacks. I can feel her warmth radiating through the fabric, teasing me. Her tongue glides against mine and this kiss isn’t like our usual kisses—the kind of kisses where I lead. She’s claiming me, telling me exactly how things are going to go and I can’t be more obliging. Hell, I’ll agree to anything she wants me to do if it means her taking control of me like this every time.

Her hand runs down my stomach before slipping between our bodies and pressing her palm right against my hard dick. “I could make you forget where you are—forget your name and forget her with one swipe of my tongue.” Her finger twitches against my cock and I subtly flex my hips into her hand. She’s never put her mouth on my cock before. I’ve thought about it a million times and I’ve wanted her to, but I’ve never pushed for it. “But I’d much rather you sit and stew, blaming her for not getting any tonight.”

Olivia slips off me and I abruptly push myself onto my elbows. My head spins as oxygen floods into my lungs, neglecting my brain. Her fingers trail up the side of her body before curling around the zipper and dragging it down the length of her torso. As the zipper nears the end, the dress falls from her, pooling at her high, glassy heels. Words fail me at the sight of her and all of her fucking naked perfection as my eyes drag down her pretty face, over her slim shoulders and linger on her perfectly round breasts. I stare for a few seconds as she stands there, letting me take in her whole form. My stare finally leaves her breasts before making their descent down her smooth navel and onto the bare slit between the gap in her thighs. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. I close my eyes briefly in an attempt to prevent a premature accident. She doesn’t have to touch me and I’m all ready to go. I want her to stroke herself while I touch myself—and I want her to do it in those heels. She twirls and strolls toward the bathroom. I shoot up to a seated position. Where does she think she’s going?

She turns back to me, shielding her body with the bathroom door. “I’m going to shower and then I’m going to bed.”

Bed? Now? After she brought me to the edge? I don’t think so. I launch myself off the bed, ready to join her in the shower, but she shakes her head, stopping me on my war path to ecstasy.

“No.”

“No?” I can’t believe it. When has she ever said no to me? Is it possible to scowl with a smile? I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m doing. “You’re sadistic.”

With a flick of her eyebrows, she closes the bathroom door, leaving me alone in the bedroom. I stare at the chocolate panels of the door, my fingers itching to reach out and twist the gold door handle. If I hadn’t pissed her off tonight, I’d kick the door down and show her exactly who’s in control here, but since I’m already the bad guy, I’ll leave it. I hurt her, so she can be in control for the night and only this once. I sigh, turning on my heel and exiting the bedroom. It’s going to be a long fucking night.

***

I kick my shoes off behind the couch and trot up the stairs. I’ve been outside on the balcony in the warm salty air for over forty minutes. I only planned to be out here while Olivia was in the shower, but I got to thinking and I couldn’t stop. Tonight shouldn’t have happened. I’ve never been ashamed of my past. I’ve never stopped and reflected on all of the decisions I’ve made, or at least I hadn’t until they started coming back to bite me in the ass one after the other. I knew they’d come back on me, that’s how karma works, but at the time I didn’t care. The various emotions that flicker over her face when something like this happens—sadness, distaste, jealousy—all of them, they twist my stomach into knots and I feel unworthy of her. Dad always told me that I destroy every good thing I get. Was I destroying Olivia? If this keeps happening, will it change her? Will she care less for me?

I need to marry her so she can’t leave me…I’m not trying to trap her, I just want the proof that she will be beside me forever—that she wants to be a part of my existence.

Olivia is the one thing I know my Dad would’ve approved of. He wasn’t there for me and when I think of him, the word love doesn’t exactly spring to mind…but I still wanted him to be proud of me. What son doesn’t want to make his father proud?

I push open the bedroom door and my eyes scan the semi-dark room. I don’t know what I expected to find…a naked, horny Olivia perhaps? She’s dimmed the lights and dimmed lights are always a good sign. I close the door behind me and as it clicks, I hear the sheets ruffle. In amongst the mass of royal blue sheets and pillows, I see a small foot sticking out over the edge of the bed and I smile to myself. She actually went to sleep. She put me in my place and then fell asleep without another word…strangely, I’m proud of her.

Her stubbornness is what drew me to her in the first place, I suppose. She knows when to contest me and when to surrender. It’s like she has a radar for when I need to be put in my place and when I need to be in control—sure, she’s mixed the two up a few times, but usually, she’s right on the money.

Button after button, I undo my shirt and throw it to the floor. I drop my slacks and replace them with a pair of loose sweatpants from my suitcase that’s awkwardly strewn across the room. As I crawl across the bed, her clean, fresh scent hits me like a ton of bricks and I realize I’ve frozen in my spot. Her smell flows through me and I close my eyes as it filters through every pore and sets fire to my blood. Forcing myself to move again, I pull back the sheets on my side and slip in. Olivia is facing me, her hand tucked adorably under her chin and her body clothed in a thin, grey nighty that’s pulled up over her hips, exposing the tiniest pair of white lace panties I’ve ever seen. In the dim light, I can’t make out the exact tone of her skin, but I know it’s all a slight shade of pink. I smile, recalling the forty minutes I laid next to her on the beach. I had my sunglasses on so to passersby, we were both sleeping, but in reality, I was watching her. I memorized every inch of exposed skin, creating maps in my head—maps I plan to follow with my lips.

I inch closer to her, keeping my eyes on her peaceful face. Without thought, my hand reaches out and I brush my fingertips over her outer thigh and over the thin, white material of her underwear. The very tips of my fingers seem to heat up as our skin connects and I continued my ascent, gliding my tips over her hip. Her lips part and she expels a warm breath of air, sending a pleasurable chill through my body that forces my hair to stand on its ends as goosebumps erupt over my skin. I can’t help but imagine the sound right by my ear as I pleasure her. I drag my finger over the edge of her hip and across her stomach. With another breath, she rolls onto her back. I wait for a little while, not wanting to wake her, and when I’m positive she won’t, I continue to let my fingertips roam. Before long I’m stroking the hem of her underwear. Despite being on her back, she’s still facing me and I can hear her heavy breaths of anticipation. Even in her sleep she wants me to touch her. I know I should just leave her and let her sleep, but the pull she has on me is unstoppable. I slide my fingers over the outside of her lace panties, avoiding her sweet spot, to caress the insides of her thighs. I hear her breath catch in her throat as the edge of my finger grazes her center and she minutely thrusts her hips. Her leg inches closer as she spreads her legs a little wider. I keep my eyes on her face and her parted lips as I slide the very tip of my finger under the edge of her underwear. Her skin is soft and unbelievably smooth and as I slip my finger between her moist creases, she moans and it sends electricity crackling through my body. She spreads her legs even wider and I push my index finger inside. Her walls tighten around me, almost sending me over the edge and my dick hasn’t even touched her yet. Forget touching, I’m all about tasting. I push myself on top of her, taking extra care not to wake her. I lower myself until my face is directly between her thighs and right over the honey pot I so desperately want to taste. Her sweet scent overwhelms me, sending my senses into a frenzy. My cock aches from digging so hard into the mattress and I shift my hips to alleviate some of the pressure.