Page 41

Crew

C an you grieve something you haven’t lost yet?

It’s not a question I ever thought I’d ask myself, but when I wake up with Olivia in my bed, eyes still shut, sun falling lazily over her golden skin and hair… I’m filled to the brim with emotion.

Need. Contentment. Lust. Wanting.

Beneath it all, I feel that pang of grief. Guilt. Worry. Like a needle poking holes in the single most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. Because Olivia is that- and everything more… and she never should have been.

The realization stings, flooding me with something like grief again, but I’ve never felt grief like this. I’ve never grieved something I already have.

And I have Olivia Hughes. Even briefly. Fleetingly. In my sheets, in my head. I can still taste her, still feel her weight under me, over me, around me.

There’s not a chance in hell of keeping things casual between us. My blood runs south at the thought, but I force a breath through my teeth. I turn, propping my head up as I comb my fingers through her silky hair. It’s mused in places, and I try not to think about how it’s because I had her hair around my fist last night.

My hand drifts down her neck, tracing her spine and the hard line of her shoulders. Her back, her waist, the curve of her breasts. Every memory of how she felt in my mouth last night fills me. It’s an effort to steer my mind back into safer territory. Anything but the fact that she’s still naked beneath these sheets.

How long before this ends? How long before we face the fact that she’s still my client? Or the fact that there’s no way I can keep this job?

Liv stirs, vivid blue eyes fluttering until they land on me. “Hi,” she murmurs sleepily.

“Good morning,” I say, my voice low enough I’m not sure she hears it.

She’s fucking beautiful , I think the longer I look at her. I don’t stop myself from reaching forward and brushing her hair down her back to reveal a sliver of tanned skin.

Just a glimpse of her has my cock growing hard. She sighs contentedly, arching into my touch. Just like she did last night. If I felt her right now, she’d be just as responsive, just as willing.

Suddenly, her eyes fly open, and she sits up, reaching for her watch on the bedside table. “Shit. What time is it?”

“Everything alright?” I raise a brow as she climbs out of bed, the sheets falling away to reveal her body.

She trips toward her bag at the end of the bed. “I forgot I’m doing something with your mom this morning.”

“Something?” I grin.

She pulls out a shirt and pants before bending over to reach for a clean towel. It gives me the perfect glimpse of her pert little ass. She must catch me staring because a teasing glint lights her eyes as she gathers her things.

“Yeah, something . We women have our secrets.” She grins, glancing at her phone. “Plus I have to call Aleks back. I need to reschedule an appointment I put off this week.”

“Whatever will the world do without you?” I wonder aloud with a smile.

“Crash and burn, baby.” She curses as she glances at her phone again. “I’m going to be late.”

“So impatient,” I tease.

“I’m not impatient. Just prepared.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder with a wink before disappearing into the bathroom.

My chest squeezes, but as the shower flips on, I force myself to get ready for the day. Downstairs, I grab two quick mugs of coffee and scrounge up a quick plate of food as Mom stares out the window overlooking the garden.

Lost in thought, she doesn’t hear that I’m behind her until I squeeze her shoulders, kissing her cheek. “Full day ahead?” she smiles, turning to hug me, mug still in-hand.

“Gotta finish this project at some point.”

“Probably,” she sighs, but her eyes make a quick flickering assessment of me. Her smile is even more pronounced now.

“What?” I quiz, though I’m sure I know what she’s looking at.

Me. The tension from my shoulders, gone. The ache in my neck, dissipated. It’s like a wave of clarity has fallen over me, and the longer she looks, the closer she comes to figuring it all out.

“Nothing.” She shrugs innocently, but I know it’s a cop out because when the door opens, and Liv steps inside, freshly showered, looking sunkissed and devastating, the pieces click by themselves.

She looks perfect, hair braided back, skin tanned, clothes hugging every curve. No sign of the mess we made last night.

God, if only I could fix that .

I want to drag her back to bed and ruin her hair again. Kiss her lips until they’re bruised red.

“Good morning,” she says to Mom, but her skin flushes under my eyes. She crosses toward the coffee-maker where I left her cup for her.

Mom’s smile brightens. “Did she tell you we’re going decor shopping today?”

“Not in so many words,” I smirk as Liv avoids my eye.

“You’re welcome to come, of course,” Mom offers, but I know she’s just being polite. She would probably fight me before she ever let me touch her precious home decor.

“You two seem perfectly capable of staying out of trouble on your own.” I smile, sipping my drink.

Mom gasps, feigning distaste. “Who told you that?”

I shake my head with a smirk. “See you later.”

Olivia’s unpacking a box of mugs when I finish up. She doesn’t look up even when I flip on the lights of the penthouse. As she sets the last green mug in the cupboard, I find myself walking over to greet her. Almost like a habit.

“What do ya think?” she asks as she hops off the counter and takes a step back to admire her handy work.

It looks good in here .

Modern but lived in. There’s splashes of blue and green decor about the kitchen and the living room, and I smile at the evidence of Olivia Hughes everywhere. But I can’t find the right words to express anything.

“I like it,” I say instead.

She’s watching me, and I don’t know why I can’t find it in myself to look back. “Does it bother you that I’m helping your mom decorate?” she asks quietly.

I’m debating the right thing to say.

Do I tell her that just the thought of her making the place her own makes me ache? That the thought of visiting and seeing traces of her sends my heart into overdrive?

“Not at all. This-“ I curse myself for not having the right words. “I love what you’ve done with the place,” I tug at her ponytail playfully, glad when she smiles. “I’m sorry. My mind is elsewhere. Work. Taylor- the new baby. Your dad,” I add, and when her smile shrinks even further, I don’t stop myself from letting my hand find her chin, forcing her eyes upward. “I’m saying all the wrong things right now.”

“No.” I trace that sliver of her smile with my thumb. “I’m thinking about all of that too. The world doesn’t stop for anyone.” Her breath catches when I tug at her bottom lip playfully, and I love that her blue eyes darken with desire. “If your mother knew all of the things we’ve done in this penthouse, she would never invite me back.”

I smirk at the devious look on her face. “You know, I was just thinking…” I say, lifting her so that both of her legs are wrapped around me. “I haven’t had you on this counter yet.”

When she feels how hard I am, her hips roll forward, grinding into me. I groan, unable to help myself as I bridge the gap and kiss her like I’ve wanted to all day. She tastes like sugar and honey, and even as I set her on the counter, I drag her closer. Taste her deeper. Kiss her until she’s trembling at my touch.

My hands slide to the front button of her shorts, flipping them open. Her lips find my neck, her tongue tracing a hot path down my jaw. My thoughts disappear. I’m helpless against her assault, dragging her shirt into my fists as her teeth find the hollow in my throat and drag a tortured sound from me.

Her hands find my shirt. She tugs up, breaking away long enough to tug it overhead.

And then I’m kissing her again, tugging her lip between my teeth. Her nails drag down my chest, scraping hard enough to leave a mark. And this time, it’s my turn to break away, resting my forehead against hers.

“I shouldn’t like that as much as I do,” I admit, loving that when her hands find my jeans, she’s tugging at them too. “Liv,” I say, watching her beautiful fucking hands reaching down. “Slow down,” I breathe, and when she freezes, I know I’ve said the wrong thing. But I kiss her hesitation away. “ I need you to slow down. I’m going to cum, and I’m not even inside you yet.”

I take control, stepping out of my jeans and dragging my boxers down as I tug her shorts off. She hooks her ankle around my hips and grinds into me again. This time, I can feel how wet she is, and my self-restraint snaps. She gasps as I rip the shred of lace covering her.

“That was expensive,” she mumbles.

“I’ll buy you more,” I mutter, tugging off her shirt.

If she asked me to, I’d buy her any damn thing she wants.

Her skin is so soft beneath my hands, and I love the little sound she makes when my thumbs brush her nipples. I can’t help myself from lifting her. There’s not an inch of space between us now, and I reach into my jeans for a condom. I roll it on as she wraps her arms around my neck. I gaze at her as I line myself up at her entrance. Her eyes flutter shut as I push into her, and I groan at the feeling.

“Fuck, Princess.”

I lift her just an inch before lowering her down again. Then I coax us into a rhythm that has us both groaning. She grips my shoulders tighter, nails digging in as she rides me. She braces herself against the counter, finding a tantalizing rhythm of her own that has me biting my lip just to keep from exploding.

“Oh my god,” she gasps against my neck.

My lips curve into a smile when I feel her legs trembling with every stroke. I know that she’s already close. Hell , if that doesn’t fill my chest with pride. It only spurs me on, gripping her thighs harder and capturing her lips with my own.

I love that as soon as I’m kissing her, she’s sighing into me. A sound of perfect contentment- one I could listen to for the rest of my life if she let me. Just the thought has me fucking her harder, kissing her until every last sound is mine.

I change positions so that one of my arms is holding her up. I use the other to reach between us and stroke her clit. She jumps at the touch, head falling back as I circle her sweet pussy with my thumb.

She moans, “Crew, I’m…”

I kiss her again, loving how she tastes, how she fucks, how her nails dig into my shoulders harder. She’s crying out, her orgasm tearing through her wave after wave.

Even when she’s coming down and opening her eyes again, I only let her draw back enough to say the words, “Bend me over.” I pull back to look at her properly, and she juts her chin toward the couch. “Take me to the couch, bend me over, and fuck me,” she says, voice low and sultry. I’m already too weak a man to resist her. Her words have me obeying instantly.

I hoist her into both arms and walk us to the couch in the living room. She hops down, but as soon as her feet hit the ground, I grab her hand, tugging her back.

“Right here,” I tell her, and before she has a moment to object, I push her against the back of the couch.

She bends at the waist, toes barely touching the floor and arms braced against the front of the cushion as she spreads for me.

I thrust into her hard. She cries out, still so fucking tight around me, and I curse because I’m already so close. My pace is slow, controlled at first. But I can hear her sweet gasps, and I know that she can give me more.

“You look so pretty like this,” I tell her, and at the sight of my cock burying inside her, I slow even further, giving her every inch at an excruciating pace. One of my hands stays rooted at her hip while the other finds her clit again.

“I don’t- I don’t think I-“ She moans again, hands fisting the couch as I fill her to the brim, pinching her clit at the same time. “That feels so good,” she cries, and when I hear her moans growing louder, I know she’s going to come again.

This time, I come with her. For a moment, I’m seeing stars, coming so hard it’s like the wind’s been knocked from my chest. She reaches back, squeezing my hand as she rides out her high. Our breaths are heavy as the world fades back into focus.

And shit , she’s so fucking pretty with her hair mused. I pull out, disposing of the condom before walking back. Her eyes are still dazed, and I kiss the small smile on her lips as I brush the hair from her eyes.

“I’ve never…” She shakes her head, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. “No one’s ever made me cum before.”

I laugh. “Twice, you mean?”

“No,” she corrects. “At all. You…” A beautiful smile forms on her mouth, but she shakes her head again, thought forgotten. While I want more than anything to ask her about it, to talk and spend the rest of the night supplying her with orgasms and endless sex, I spot the moment a switch in her flips.

Her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “You can’t keep me up all night. We have to drive back tomorrow.”

This was bound to happen, but I don’t know why it stings so much that she pulls away from me. Reality comes hurtling back, and the fact that we’re leaving tomorrow hangs over us by a thread.

“I can’t believe it’s been a week,” she says from the kitchen, retrieving her shirt from the floor and pulling it back on. She’s avoiding me now, and I watch as she gathers our clothes and starts braiding her hair out of her face.

I watch Olivia Hughes like it’s the last time I’ll ever see her like this. Glowing and carefree and throwing my jeans at me with a teasing smile.

“You’re gonna sink into the couch if you don’t get up now,” she teases. I smile, knowing I’m long past sinking. Long past falling. But that’s the thing about it:

One moment, I had her.

The next, she was never even mine.