Come Together (31 page)

I slid off the desk, and he caught me as my legs threatened to give out. I steadied myself against his shoulders and went to pull down my skirt when he stopped me. He groaned from his chest and ran a finger up the semen dripping down my thigh. He held it up and our gazes locked as I licked it off.

“There’s an image that’ll have me walking funny the rest of the day,” he said.

I laughed and followed him into his bathroom where he boosted me onto the counter. He ran water over a hand towel, opened my red and raw legs and wiped me down with quiet determination.

After rinsing the towel, he pulled me close for a series of gentle pecks. His eyes traveled down my neck and stopped.

“My blouse,” I said, following his gaze.

But he was focused on my chest. There was a red mark from his mouth, and he ran his fingers around it. “Did that hurt?”

“No.”

He searched my eyes for a moment and dropped his hand. “What are we going to do about this?” he asked, pulling my ruined, button-less top closed.

“Do you have a sewing kit?” I asked.

“Do I look like an eighty-year-old woman?”

I pursed my lips. “Well, what do you suggest?”

“Mmm.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed his way down my neck. “I keep you in here, make love to you again every hour for the rest of the day,” he said against my skin.

“I don’t know if I would call what we just did ‘making love,’” I teased.

His head jerked back, and his brow furrowed. “It’s all love, every touch, every kiss. Even when it comes like that. You know that, right?”

I put my hand on his jaw. “Yes.”

“We might be fucking like rabbits, but it’s all love.”

I broke into a grin. “You really have a way with words.”

He laughed until his face fell. “Seriously, though. We need to get you a shirt, and I need food.”

I hopped off the counter and grabbed the food from his desk to unpack it on his coffee table.

“This is David Dylan,” I heard. I looked up to see him leaning over his desk, the phone to his ear. “I have – yes, hello. I’m sending my girlfriend over in a few minutes, and I’d like you to put whatever she picks out on my account. That’s fine, thanks.”

He hung up, immediately came to the couch and tore into a burrito. “I’m starving,” he muttered with another enormous bite.

“Um, who was that?” I asked after I’d swallowed.

“There’s a shop around the corner. Go get a new blouse.” He glanced from his food to my skirt and then back. “Underwear too.”

I stared at him. “You’ve spent enough money on me. I can just wear my coat at work.”

“Do it, don’t argue,” he said. “We’ve got other things to discuss. Have you changed your mind about this evening?”

“No,” I bristled.

“Then we’re at an impasse.”

“Not exactly. I’m going, you’re not . . . and that’s where we are.”

He glared at me as he took another bite, chewing slowly. He swallowed and sighed. “Look, I’m uncomfortable with you being alone with him. He put his hands on you once, he could do it again.”

“I get that, but it was out of character for Bill. I’ve been involved with this man for
years
. Never a problem.”

“I get that,” he echoed, his anger visibly mounting, “but things are different now. You can’t know where his head’s at.” He stood up quickly and stalked over to a closed door I hadn’t noticed before. After a moment he returned with a folded men’s undershirt. “Put this on. It’s not a fair fight with your tits in my face.”

“Well, in that case – ”

“Olivia,” he commanded, his eyes narrowing.

I gulped, accepted the shirt and pulled it over my head. “How come you always call me by my full name?”

“What else would I call you?”

“Uh, Liv,” I said.

“Olivia is beautiful, and it suits you perfectly.”

“Oh.”

His eyes scanned my face. “You’re cute when you blush, you know that?” he murmured, but he still looked annoyed. “To me, you are always Olivia.” He took another mouthful of burrito and chewed quickly. “When I met you in Andrew’s kitchen and I asked you your name, you said, in your sexy, husky voice, ‘Olivia.’ And then this bumbling asshole comes in the kitchen calling you ‘Livs.’ I could’ve knocked him out.”

My lips parted as I stared at him. It never occurred to me that he’d given the topic any thought.

“Anyway, that’s why,” he finished.

I sighed like a wilting flower, powerless to the love that coursed through me. I was quickly becoming the kind of girl I’d always despised: one who couldn’t stop staring at her boyfriend with starry eyes – even when we were in the middle of a fight.

“As I was saying, this is serious shit. People have been murdered over situations like this.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Infidelity.”

“Oh. But having you there would make it worse. If anything would set him off, it’d be that.”

“Wouldn’t matter. I’d be there.”

I dropped my forehead into my open hand. Bringing David was not an option. It wasn’t right. But I hated that he thought I wasn’t on his side. Of all the things he’d said the night before, that struck me the hardest. I exhaled finally and looked back at him. “What if you drive Gretchen and me but stay downstairs? That way you’ll be there if anything goes wrong.”

“Fuck,” he said to himself. “Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn? Don’t you trust me?”

“Don’t you trust
me
?” I cried. “He’s not the monster you think he is. Sweetie, I wouldn’t go there if I thought it was an issue. Nor would I take Gretchen there if I thought he was capable of hurting her.”

He grumbled something to himself through another bite, and I smiled triumphantly. “Tell Gretchen not to worry about the car,” he said. “I’ll get something, and we can pick her up on the way.”

“K,” I said, balling up my trash. “Can you walk me out? I need my coat. And as much as I would love to wear this all day . . .” I peeled off his cologne-scented undershirt and handed it to him.

He walked to his desk and picked up the phone. “Olivia’s coat,” was all he said.

As we waited by the door, he leaned in to give me a sweet kiss. “See?” he said. “No fighting.”

“No fighting,” I repeated with a smile.

He cracked the door a sliver to accept my coat and held it open so I could slip into it. I watched him concentrate on each button as he dressed me. When he was finished, he pulled gently on the lapels and kissed me again.

“Thank you for understanding,” I told him. “I owe you.”

I turned away and pulled the door open, but he slammed it shut with one hand. “Owe me?” he purred into my ear, molding his hand to my backside.

My insides turned instantly to jelly with his hot breath on my neck. “Yes,” I breathed.

“If I didn’t have so much to do, I’d take you up against this door right now,” he said. “I haven’t nearly made up for the time we lost last week, so you’d better be ready to spread those long legs for me tonight.” He opened the door and tapped me on the ass, pushing me out dazedly into the foyer. I blinked for a moment until I noticed the receptionist studiously avoiding my gaze. I gave her a quick wave and rushed to the elevator.

The fact that David had an account at the boutique where he was sending me was worrisome, so I was glad to see they carried men’s clothing in addition to women’s. For some reason, that led to me wondering whether or not he’d had sex on his desk before, and the thought made my lip curl.

Two salesgirls were in the middle of a conversation when I asked for a fitting room. One turned to me, a pretty blonde, young but with an unfortunate frown. She pointed across the store. “Dressing room’s over there.” She returned to her co-worker to pick up their conversation.

“I need to wear it out of the store,” I told her.

“Sure, but we only take American Express.”

“That’s fine, my boyfriend called ahead.”

She turned back to me slowly. “Oh. You’re David’s girlfriend?”

“Yes. Are you a friend of his?” I asked, finding her tone a little too familiar.

“Er, no. He usually works with me when he shops though.”

“How about that dressing room?” I asked.

“Right.” She shot a look at the other girl as she rounded the counter and led me to the back of the store. “Have you been dating long?” she asked nonchalantly.

“Not very.”

She gave me a quick, tight smile, showed me into the room and shut the door behind me. I stood there a moment with the top in my hand, seething. Obviously ‘working’ with David involved more than just shopping. She was young, but that wouldn’t surprise me. It occurred to me that I might be destined to a lifetime of uncomfortable encounters with David’s women. Instead of dwelling on it, I decided to ask.

Nov 19, 2012 1:08 PM

Curious, how many of the women at this boutique have you “worked with”?

Nov 19, 2012 1:10 PM

Two if you count yourself.

I gave myself a moment to fume. His answer wasn’t surprising – it was written all over her face – but I hadn’t prepared myself for it to be true.

Nov 19, 2012 1:12 PM

Why would you send me here then?

Nov 19, 2012 1:13 PM

Why else? Good service.

I almost threw my phone at the wall.
‘Good service’? Is he teasing me?

Nov 19, 2012 1:15 PM

You are walking a seriously thin line with that comment.

Nov 19, 2012 1:17 PM

Just being honest, my sweet. Don’t ask if you don’t want to know the answer.

Nov 19, 2012 1:18 PM

Look, I wouldn’t send you if there was anything to worry about. That shit’s done. All of it.

I inhaled deeply. I had a choice: chastise him for a past that couldn’t be changed and was likely to come up often, or accept that it happened, and in the end, he’d chosen me. My lips were twisted in thought when the girl knocked and asked if I needed anything.

I opened the door and smiled. “Yes. Lingerie. Bring the best stuff you have. Anything you think David would like . . . since you’ve worked with him before.”

“Certainly,” she stammered, reddening.

I giggled to myself when she’d left. Just because I was going to take the high road didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun.

As I stood at the register in my new blouse, I studied the girl. All the women I knew of in David’s past were beautiful, unsurprisingly. He could have any girl he wanted on her knees in a snap. So I decided I’d take it as a compliment that he’d picked me.

“Mr. Dylan called again,” she said as she packaged my purchases. “He wanted me to include this.” She showed me a small box with a ribbon around it. “He says you’re not to open it until tonight though.”

“Did you pick it out?” I asked.

“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “He knew exactly what he wanted, and we had it.”

I looked at her skeptically. “All right. Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.”

“Sure,” she said. “Maybe we’ll see you again.”

“Maybe not,” I muttered under my breath, but I attempted a smile.

~

In the passenger’s seat of our rental car, I bit my thumbnail anxiously. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Bill at all. Just the idea had my stomach in knots, and I was beginning to regret my chicken tacos at lunch.

“So why exactly am I carrying big boxes and David gets to hang by the car?” Gretchen asked from the back seat.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful,” I said again.

“Who cares?” she asked.

“You guys, seriously. I’m still married to the man, for Christ’s sake. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I’m just teasing. It’s very mature of you.”

“Anyway,” I added, “you’ve seen these two together. They aren’t exactly friendly.”

“I promised to behave,” David stated, his eyes focused out the windshield.

“No. My answer is still no.”

“Don’t worry, David,” Gretchen said. “I took a kickboxing class in college.”

His jaw tightened, and I groaned. “Don’t, Gretch. We’ll be in and out in under twenty minutes, I guarantee.”

“I don’t want either of you girls in there alone, all right? Just stay together.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Gretchen said to silence. “Oh, come on, you two, lighten up.”