A/N: My apologies in advance for any errors you may find. I had a tiny window of time this evening and I decided to use it to proofread and post this chapter today rather than wait until I had more time later in the week. I hope you don't find them too distracting from the story.
After six and half hours of golf and lunch at the club, Fitz was elated when Stephen announced that he would be in the first car back to the house. Thoughts of Olivia had distracted him all day as he ping ponged between elation at the memory of what it felt like to finally have her in his arms, her lips pressed against his, and despondency at the way the morning ended. He had scolded himself repeatedly for his lapse in judgement. Olivia was light as a feather, there was no reason for him to lose his grip and to allow their bodies to connect in that way. The only possible excuse was his delirium in the moment made him forget that he was holding his skittish assistant rather than his incredibly desirable fiancée.
Fitz was the first out of the car and into the house, trying, but failing, to hide his eagerness to be reunited with her. He rushed into the living room, finding a group of women, but no sign of Olivia. Encouraged that the wives had returned from their morning at the spa, he ventured down the hallway toward the cottage and bounded up the stairs two at a time until he reached the floor where they were staying. He opened the bedroom door and was disappointed when he didn't find her or any clue where she may be. Deciding she must be outside by the pool or at the beach, he quickly descended the stairs and headed toward the patio. Once outside, he saw three figures lounging by the pool. From this distance, he was unable to determine exactly who these women were, but one pair of legs were darker than the other two. Assuming this figure was Olivia, he quickly crossed the expansive lawn in her direction.
He found her poolside, stretched out on a sunbather, wearing a white halter crochet bikini, her eyes hidden behind large dark sunglasses, wireless earbuds tucked in her ears. From three feet away, there was no mistaking the hunger in his gaze and the tension in his body as he stood there silently, allowing his eyes to roam over her body, delighting in the newly revealed skin. "Hello ladies," he directed to the three women.
"Hello, Fitz," Tiffany and Amber replied in unison, their body language just flirty enough to draw Olivia's ire.
She looked at him expectantly, relaxing fully into the sultry persona she adopted when she was with him. There was something liberating about the person he allowed her to be. He had no expectations for who she would be or what she would do. With him, she had no responsibilities and there was no expectation of reciprocity. She was free to take only what she wanted from him and he had repeatedly demonstrated that there were no limits to his generosity. Being with him was like careening down a curvy mountain road without guardrails. The wild ride was euphoric, tempting you to push the limits further and further, but you knew if you weren't careful you would end up in a fiery crash at the bottom of a ravine.
"Hi," he said in a breathy whisper, his voice washing over her like a warm caress. How could he make two letters and one syllable sound like a lover's sonnet? Olivia fought to maintain her composure as memories of how it felt to be in his arms flooded her. Her body tingled as she recalled the softness of his kiss, the firmness of his muscles pressed against her softness areas, the tension in his hands as he kneaded her aching muscles, and the bulge in his shorts pressing against where she craved him most. "Well, if it isn't my very own Dustin Johnson. Did you win?" she teased.
He looked at her with a devilish twinkle in his eye and a wide grin, "If I decide to play, I plan to win," he said, the double entendre pouring from his lips in a rich, deep baritone that sent shivers down her spine. "I thought you hated golf?"
"I do, but I'm a sports fan in general and, now that I've gotten to experience it up close and personal, I'm starting to develop a fondness for you in golf clothes," she said taking a moment to appreciate the way he filled out his clothes in all the right ways. Fitz watched as she slowly traced her upper lip with her tongue. She knew exactly what she was doing and the effect it was having on him, the only unknown was exactly what she expected him to do about it. He cautiously sat beside her, his hip brushing against her thigh, searching her eyes for some sign of her intentions.
Olivia removed her sunglasses and boldly returned his gaze, not shrinking from the intensity in his steely blue eyes. For three days she had patiently played by his rules, rules she knew he created to protect her, but she was tired of it. Fitz had lectured her numerous times about the importance of them being believable as a couple, but there was nothing believable about him being the submissive partner. If he wanted something from her, he was going to have to prove he could take it. This weekend would only work if they learned to dance with him leading, but her controlling their movements.
Challenged by the daring look in her eye, but cautioned by the hint of uncertainty in her body language, he leaned forward and tentatively brushed his lips across hers. "I missed you."
"Show me."
He was tempted to scoop her in his arms and carry her back to their room where he would spend the rest of the afternoon giving her exactly what she asked for until her body couldn't take anymore. Instead, he settled for gently caressing her cheek, holding her face in place before lowering his face to hers. Olivia closed hers eyes, tilted her head back, and waited for him to cover her lips with his own. Fitz inched forward until he was so close she feel his humid breath on her face but, instead of kissing her, he whispered, "Is this what you want?" Olivia's eyes shot open, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she shuddered with anticipation.
Her reaction was all the permission he needed. He touched his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, but tenderly. Ignoring his own need and the desire to consume her welling up inside him, he kissed her lovingly and patiently, her pleasure his only concern. Slowly, he parted her lips with his tongue, taking the time to explore every crevice of her mouth. She captured his tongue and sucked on it gently, tasting the remnants of alcohol and tobacco from earlier in the day.
She pulled away from him, putting just enough distance between them to focus on his face. "You've been smoking without me," she pouted.
Fitz shifted position on the sunbather so that he was stretched out beside her, his body parallel to hers. "If it helps at all, you should know that the image of these," he said, slowly dragging his index finger across her lips, "wrapped around a cigar destroyed my game for at least three holes." Olivia threw her head back, her lips parted slightly, the melody of her laugh escaping her lips. He seized the opportunity, crashing his lips down on hers as he claimed her fiercely and intensely as his own.
She returned his kiss, their tongues engaged in a sensual dance, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him closer. Slowly, Tiffany, Amber, and everything else slipped away until all that was left was the two of them and their desire for each other. She buried her fingers in his curls, eliciting a series of moans that she swallowed eagerly. He ran his hand along her bare thigh before grabbing her hip firmly, turning her toward him, careful to avoid connecting their bodies. Olivia moved toward to him and hooked her right leg over his hip, pulling him closer and holding him in place. He grinned wickedly against her lips, imagining all of the dirty things he could do to her in this position.
He traced the curve of her spine with his fingers, memorizing the way her body responded to his touch. He was tempted to loosen the ties on her top and expose the parts of her he was eager discover, but he refrained, remembering they were in public. Shifting his attention, he lowered his hands to her bikini bottoms, his palms smoothing over the rounded curve of her rear.
Olivia's body hummed in his arms, betraying her secret. She was no longer pretending, she wanted him in a way that no married woman should. Fitz longed to take her somewhere more private where they could surrender to what was happening between them, but feared that once things became undeniably real she would flee.
They were so caught up in each other that they didn't hear the approaching footsteps. "Fitz, there you are," Seth interrupted.
"Go away," Fitz growled, breaking their kiss. "I'm busy." Much to Olivia's surprise, he returned his focus to her, planting a series of feathery kisses along her jawline from her chin to her ear. He pulled her earlobe into his mouth, nipping it with his teeth mildly disappointed when his actions failed to elicit a response.
"My father wants to speak with you."
Fitz removed his lips from her skin only long enough to say, "Tell him you couldn't find me." Continuing his assault to Olivia's body, he moved on, pressing his lips to her pulse point and sucking gently, chuckling softly when she mewled his name.
"It's about the Patterson Place project. I told him you were looking for a subcontractor. We may be able to help."
Groaning, Fitz tore himself away from Olivia, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just spent six hours with your father. Now, I'm spending time with my very sexy fiancée. I'm sure your father would approve. Can't this wait a few hours?"
"Come on Fitz," Seth complained. "You live in Miami. Olivia poolside in a bikini, while extremely tempting, must be an everyday occurrence. You're the one that submitted a bid committing resources you don't have. We're offering you a solution. Do you want it or not?"
Olivia reached up and kissed Fitz on the cheek. "Go," she urged. "I'll be here when you when you get back."
"Yes, Fitz," Seth mocked, settling onto the sunbather adjacent to Olivia's. "Go. We'll be here when you get back."
Fitz eyed Seth suspiciously, not wanting to leave him alone with Olivia. He casually reached for Olivia's cover-up and handed it to her. "Meet me in our room in thirty minutes?" he asked, more a statement than a question.
"Whatever you want," she replied cheerily, pulling her cover-up over her head, smoothing it over her body before putting on her sunglasses.
"Where's your father?"
"In the study waiting for you."
Fitz took one final glance at Olivia, already dreading separating from her. "Do you need anything before I go?"
"I'm fine. I'll see you in the room soon." Fitz pulled her toward him and kissed her good-bye.
As he was turning to walk away, he heard Seth call out to him, "What, no kiss for me?" Fitz looked back and flipped him the bird, trudging in the direction of the main house.
Fitz entered the house and headed in the direction of the study. The door was open so he rapped his knuckles lightly on the doorframe, alerting Stephen to his presence. Stephen looked up from his laptop and waived him into the room. "Come in and close the door behind you."
Fitz did as he was instructed before being seated in one of the armchairs that faced Stephen's desk. "Seth said you wanted to see me," his said, unable to mask his annoyance at being summoned.
"I do, but, judging from the look on your face, you'd rather be somewhere else. Seth found you with Olivia?"
Fits looked at him with a sly smile, "He did. We were by the pool, enjoying the afternoon sun. It's too hot and humid in Miami to be outside in August, we were taking advantage of the cooler temperature."
Stephen nodded appreciatively. "Well, let's get down to business so you can get back to your beautiful fiancée. Seth explained that you've found yourself in a bit of a jam and you're looking for a subcontractor for the construction phase of a new project."
"Yes, sir. Grant Enterprises was recently awarded the bid for Patterson Place, a large multi-use office/commercial/residential community, but our construction resources are stretched a bit thin at the moment because we were also awarded the bids for two other projects scheduled for the same timeframe."
"Care to explain how you found yourself in this situation?" Stephen asked, amused by Fitz's predicament.
"I know how irresponsible this must seem, but the explanation is actually quite simple. We have four young, extremely talented architects at the firm. Honestly, they remind me a bit of myself when I was their age. Anyway, I digress, since my father announced his upcoming retirement, Cyrus and I have challenging employees throughout the company to step up and show us how they can contribute to building the Grant Enterprises of the future. We challenged these architects to work with our contractors to submit bids for moderate sized projects in the southeast. Cyrus and I allocated the contractor resources for two projects. We knew it was a risk, but we thought we'd be lucky to win two of the four bids. We never thought we would win three. I just found out on Monday that we were awarded the third bid, the Patterson Place project."
Stephen looked at Fitz suspiciously, "Didn't your father do something similar with you when you were a young, extremely talented architect?"
Fitz laughed heartily. "He did. He challenged me and three of my colleagues to bid on projects ranging from a quarter to a half a billion dollars."
"If I recall correctly, you submitted a bid for a skyscraper, well outside that range."
"You recall correctly and I won that bid," Fitz said smugly. "It was the first time Seth and I worked together. The Akoyo Condominium is still the third largest skyscraper in the Miami skyline."
"Your father was simultaneously livid and bursting with pride at your hubris. The scrambling he had to do to protect your ego and deliver that project on time and on budget was nothing short of miraculous."
"Now it's my turn to scramble," Fitz said with a chuckle. "Patrick is a brilliant architect and his audacious design is visionary. I am committed to helping him deliver this project."
"Does the bid proposal allow for a subcontractor?"
"I've spoken with the developer at length and he is open to us using a subcontractor, but we have to remain within three percent of the original budget."
"Can you do that?"
"We can. The difference will have to come out of our hide, but we weren't expecting to win three bids so a smaller margin on this project is tolerable. Cyrus would prefer that we work with a smaller, less expensive, company, but Patrick's vision is bold and he thought he would have the support of Grant Enterprises' resources. I can't deliver that, but my strong preference is to work with a company we know and trust."
"I appreciate your candor."
"There's no reason to obfuscate. We need a partner in this venture and I would love the opportunity to work with Seth on this."
"You wouldn't be working with Seth."
"Excuse me?" Fitz asked, confused by the sudden turn in the conversation.
"You wouldn't be working with Seth; you would be working with me. Still interested in partnering with Merkle Industries?"
"With all due respect, this is a small project, why would you want to be involved?"
"I'm an old man and the New York winters can be harsh. This project is the perfect excuse for Jean and I to spend some of the winter in Florida. So, should we get Cyrus, and Jeff, my CFO, on the line and start talking numbers?"
Fitz wasn't fully buying Stephen's explanation. It didn't seem logical to devote CEO resources to a project of this size. Something was amiss, but he didn't know the man well enough to ferret out the truth. He glanced at his watch and saw that he'd been with Stephen for half an hour, looping in the CFOs would take at least another hour, making him late to meet Olivia. Stephen looked at him impatiently, "Is there somewhere else you need to be?"
"No, it's fine. I just need to send Olivia a quick text telling her I'm going to be late. Let's get Cyrus and Jeff on the line. I would also like to include Patrick. This is his project; he deserves a seat at the table." Fitz pulled out his phone and sent Olivia a short message explaining that he would be delayed.
A couple of hours later, Fitz found Olivia curled up in the middle of the bed, wearing his favorite Harvard t-shirt, a blanket thrown over her lower half. He went still, welcoming the opportunity to watch her unobserved. She was beautiful with her hair splayed wildly across the pillow, her lips slightly parted. He didn't know if it was his oversized shirt or the large bed, but she looked so tiny lying there, softly breathing. Careful not to wake her, he pulled his iPhone from his pocket and snapped a quick picture. He'd experienced so many different sides of Olivia this week it was hard to rank them, but there was something about this tranquil, vulnerable version that drew him to her.
Unable to resist, he sat beside Olivia on the bed. Bending over, he kissed her on the forehead, her cheek, and on her nose. Beginning to stir, she swatted weakly in his direction. Fitz laughed, amused by how adorable she was in this moment. "Wake up, Livvie," he sung, kissing her lips. To his surprise, Olivia returned his kiss without fully waking up. Curious about where this would lead, he deepened the kiss and again she responded, slowly reaching consciousness. Fitz broke their kiss and Olivia groaned in disappointment.
Fully awake now, her eyes darted around the room, when they focused on Fitz they shot open, wide with shock. "Expecting someone else?" he asked, laughing at her. Olivia touched her lips and pondered his question. Even in her semiconscious state, she should have been able to distinguish the difference between his kiss and that of her husband's. Had he become so familiar to her that she welcomed his touch even in her sleep?
"Fitz," she mumbled, trying to get her bearing. "What time is it?" she asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
"It's a little after seven. I'm sorry I'm late. Did you get my text?"
"I did. I didn't want to go back down to the pool with Seth so I decided to take a nap." She looked down and realized that he'd caught her sleeping in his shirt. "Shit," she exclaimed, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. It was on the bed and I slipped into it after my shower. I don't usually sleep in pajamas and your shirt was so soft. I couldn't resist."
"It's fine. It looks much better on you than it does on me."
"It does, doesn't it," she said cheekily, sitting up in the bed, drawing her legs underneath her. "How did it go with Stephen? Are you going to subcontract with Merkle Industries?"
"It looks that way. We had a lengthy conference call with Patrick, Cyrus, the Merkle CFO, and a Merkle contractor. Our legal team is drafting a subcontract. Patrick, the Merkle contractor, and their teams are working on a revised construction bid proposal for the developer."
"When it's ready have Charlotte send it to me. I'll review and edit it for you."
"Liv, you don't have to do that, you're supposed to be on vacation."
"You're working, I can work too. Do you really trust Charlotte to handle this?"
Looking at her intently, Fitz reached out and tucked a few errant hairs behind her ear. "You know there's no one I trust more than you."
"Then it's settled. Have her send the proposal to me when it's ready."
"Yes ma'am. Anything else?"
"I should be asking you that. Anything else I should know?"
"There's something going on with Stephen."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure. I assumed Seth would be my contact for the Patterson Place project, but Stephen is insisting on handling it personally."
"That is odd. Why would he want to travel back and forth between Florida and New York?"
"He claims he wants to get out of New York for the winter, but I think it's something else."
"What?"
"That's just it. I don't know. Did Jean mention anything to you?"
"No. She's keeping me close, but I thought that was because I'm new and she doesn't fully trust me."
"Stephen is doing the same with me. Something's up."
"Did you talk to Seth or your father?"
"My father is not returning my calls and, now that Seth is out of the Patterson Place project, it would be awkward to have the conversation with him."
"What you going to do?"
"I don't think there is anything we can do."
"Fitz, you can't let him come to Miami," she warned.
"Why not?"
"Because this, us, you and me," she said gesturing between the two of them, "is a one weekend show. I have a husband. I can't just drop everything and pretend to be your fiancée every time he's in town. What's going to happen when he calls the office or, worse yet, visits the office and sees me? What happens if I'm out with Jake and we run into him? Don't you see, if Stephen comes to Miami, this entire weekend will have been for naught."
"Proving that I can close a deal with Merkle Industries and establishing myself as a worthy business partner and equal is the reason why we're both here, remember. I've come too far to kill the deal now, plus, Patrick deserves better. You haven't seen his project design, but it's brilliant and he shouldn't be denied an opportunity he's earned because of my decisions. Handling Stephen is my problem. I'll figure something out, something that doesn't involve you. Obviously, we are going to have to end our engagement and I'll be heartbroken, devastated even, but it will be a good excuse to throw myself into work. I think I can spin this into something good for all of us."
"I'm sorry I can't help you," she said softly, avoiding eye contact and fiddling with her fingers.
"Don't be," he said, using his finger to turn her chin and her attention back to him. "You've done more than enough already. I wouldn't even be in this position if you didn't agree to join me this weekend. You've been amazing."
"Thanks," she replied bashfully. "The most tedious part has been pretending to be attracted to you. It's too bad you're not handsome or anything." Fitz couldn't help but laugh at Olivia's teasing.
"Speaking of attractive, it's almost time for dinner. I'll wait outside while you change," he said, rising from the bed.
"Fitz, wait," she called, "You don't have to leave. I've already showered. Let me brush my teeth quickly and you can have the bathroom while I get changed out here."
"Are you sure?" he asked, squinting his eyes as he considered her proposal.
"I'm sure," she said hopping out of bed and heading in the direction of the bathroom.
Fitz chuckled at how absurd his t-shirt looked on her, the sleeves almost covering her elbows and the hem falling well below her butt. "You're so small, seeing you in my shirt makes me feel like a giant."
"Is that all it makes you feel?" she asked in a sultry tone, closing the bathroom door before he could respond.
Dinner was winding down and Olivia couldn't take any more of the forced socialization. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from the smile she'd kept plastered on her face for the last hour. Individually and in small groups, the couples gathered for the weekend were delightful, but for some reason tonight's dinner had devolved into a competition in which the executives all tried to exert their superiority. She wondered if the morning rounds of golf had resulted in some bruised egos.
Needing a break, Olivia excused herself from the room, explaining to Fitz that she needed to use the bathroom. Instead of using the powder room inside the foyer, conveniently located outside the dining room, she opted to venture down the long hall to use the powder room on the first floor of the cottage, prolonging her time away from the group. When she was finished, she stood in the mirror and gave herself a little pep talk to get her through the rest of the evening. Realizing she'd been gone long enough for Fitz to worry, she rushed out of the bathroom and collided into Seth, who was lurking outside the door.
Seth reached out and grabbed her upper arms to prevent her from falling, but he used more force than needed, causing her to grimace with pain. "What are you doing out here?" Olivia asked, twisting out of his grasp.
"I'm looking for you."
"Looking for me? Why? Is Fitz okay?"
"You should see the look on your face. It's brilliant. You actually look concerned about him."
"I am concerned about him. Where is he? What's wrong? Take me to him?"
"I have to admit the two of you are good."
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, confused by Seth's response.
"You, Fitz, and this little charade you're trying to pull off. I was there the last time Fitz fell in love and the two of you almost have me convinced. Almost."
"I know all about Fitz's past so I understand why you are confused, but Fitz and I aren't pretending. We're in love, we're engaged, and we're going to get married."
"My God, you are good, all full of righteous indignation even as you stand there and lie to me. You are a beautiful, intelligent, sexy woman. Women like you don't fall for men like Fitzgerald Grant, not for more than one night."
Olivia stared at him defiantly. "I don't know who you think I am or, for that matter, who you think he is, but you're wrong about both of us. It took us a long time to find each other and, I'll admit Fitz had a lot of growing up to do when we met, but I love him completely and unconditionally and he is absolutely deserving of that love."
Seth smiled at her coldly, giving her the creeps. "You must be costing him a fortune. Did he bring you with him from Miami or do you work for an agency in New York."
"I'm going to need you to refrain from calling me a whore," she spat angrily.
"Whoa," he exclaimed, stepping toward her rather than away from her. Olivia instinctively retreated away from him, looking for an escape. Seth was blocking the path forward that led back the dining room and the other guests. She knew the only thing behind her was the stairs to the cottage and the last thing she wanted was to lead him to the bedrooms. Her only option was to drift right and hope that led to an exit. "I didn't mean to offend you," he explained. "I meant it as a compliment. I guess I'm not as a charming as the men you're used to dealing with. I just want to know how I can be added to your client list."
Olivia groaned internally when she realized that she'd turned into the cottage's mudroom, a more enclosed space than the hallway, with the only exit leading outside compound. Acknowledging she wouldn't be able to escape as easily as she hoped, she began to rationalize with Seth. "I don't know how else to say this to you. I am NOT a whore! Fitz and I aren't pretending. Everything about our relationship is real. You're making a huge mistake. I'm his fiancée. You saw how he acted at the pool. He didn't want me hanging out with you in a bikini. Do you really think he'd be that possessive of his favorite call girl? Move out of my way now and we can laugh this off as an honest mistake, no harm no foul. You and I can pretend this never happened," her cadence quickening with each word as the desperation and fear crept into her voice.
Seth continued to crowd Olivia, leering at her lewdly, forcing her to unwittingly retreat into the corner of the room and trapping her there with his body. Olivia struggled to get away from him, but his presence was overwhelming, offering no escape. "You're fucking perfect," he said, his hand roaming under the hem of her dress, "I understand why the thought of you with another man would make him crazy". Olivia frantically tried to push away his hand, but that only made him grasp her tighter, forcing his hand higher on her thigh. "I don't understand why you're fighting this so hard. I'm a good looking guy. I'm willing to double whatever it he's paying you."
Olivia slapped him across the face as hard as she could. "I'm not for sale asshole. Let me go," she barked in a voice far more authoritarian than she felt.
He laughed humorlessly, unamused by her display of bravado. "I knew you were a feisty one. Fitz generally prefers his women docile, but I like mine with a little fight," he said, leaning forward, quickly closing the gap between them.
He was so close Olivia could smell the scotch on his breath. Continuing to struggle against his advances, she offered, "I've been gone for a while. Fitz will get worried and start looking for me soon. We both know this won't end well for anyone if he finds us like this. He's going to lose his temper and do something that will ruin this weekend for him and probably cost him the CEO position. He'll try to fight it, but eventually he will blame me for everything and the resentment will ruin our relationship. And you, God knows what he will do to you. He'll make it his mission to ruin you personally and professionally. Is sex with a woman that doesn't want you worth all that?"
"Wasn't that little speech just full of wishful thinking? That man doesn't give a shit about you. All he cares about is what's between your legs. He's probably too busy kissing my father's ass to realize that you're gone. If you just relax and cooperate, I promise you'll enjoy it," he said, leaning forward to kiss her.
"Don't, please," she whimpered, turning her head away from him, causing his open mouthed kiss to land on her cheek.
"What the fuck?" Fitz yelled charging in the direction of Seth and Olivia. He snatched Seth off Olivia and slammed him into the wall. "What the hell is going on here?" he barked at Seth. Turning to a distraught Olivia, he asked, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Olivia rushed towards Fitz, pressing her small body into his, holding onto him tightly. Fitz wrapped his left arm around Olivia, trying to comfort her while keeping a watching eye on Seth.
"Relax, man," Seth said defensively, "I didn't hurt her."
Judging from Seth's condescending smirk and Olivia's level of upset, Fitz knew exactly what had transpired between the pair and why. "I'm so sorry Livvie, this is all my fault. Are you hurt? Do you want to press charges? What do you need?" Fitz asked, looking her over to be sure she wasn't physically harmed.
"Press charges? I didn't hurt her. She came onto me."
"He's lying. I didn't. I wouldn't."
Fitz kissed the top of her head, holding her tighter and hushing her softly. "I know Livvie," he cooed. Turning to Seth, he spat, "Now, asshole, do you want to explain why your lips and hands were all over my fiancée?"
"She's a lying slut. The little whore was all over me the second I offered to double your fee."
"Mother fucker," Olivia hissed.
Fitz's face turned red with rage. Veins bulging in his forehead and neck, Fitz grabbed Seth by the throat with his free hand, squeezing tightly, and pressed him against the wall. With his other hand, he tucked Olivia safely behind him, placing himself squarely between the two of them. "You need to stop talking before I forget we've been friends for more than twenty years," he growled. "The woman you just assaulted is the woman I love, the woman I plan to marry. The only reason why I haven't already killed you is because she's standing here watching me and I don't want to further traumatize her. Did you think for one second that I would believe you over her? I don't know why you thought you could touch her, treat her that way, but you're wrong. I don't give a damn who you are, who your parents are. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass." Infuriated, Fitz increased the pressure on his neck, causing Seth's eyes to bulge and him to gasp for air. "Liv, why don't you go join the others. I'll be right there."
Liv wrapped her arms around Fitz, pressing her face against his back. "Come with me. Forget about him. He's not worth it," she begged before whispering softly, "remember why we're here."
"Liv, leave, please. I just need a moment alone with Seth."
"No," she pleaded. "I'm not leaving without you. I don't want to be alone, not now. I need you."
Fitz dropped his hand from Seth's neck and pulled Olivia into his embrace. "I'm so sorry. I promised I would never let anyone hurt you and I failed you, again," he said, burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent deeply.
"You're not responsible for what he did."
"I am," he whispered, "and we both know why."
"That's not true. You are not the man he thinks you are. Now, come, take me back to the group before people notice we've disappeared."
Fitz turned around to face Seth. "You're lucky she's a better person than both of us. I don't give a damn who you are. You so much as look at her, touch her or come within ten feet of her and I'll kill you. I would risk everything to protect her."
"You're not fooling me. You may be saying all the right things, but I was there after Elizabeth, when you swore off love forever, promising that you would never put yourself in a position to be devastated like that again. You don't want to be married any more than I do."
"Correction – I didn't want to be married. That was before Olivia came back into my life and everything changed. I've changed. You don't know me and you don't know Olivia. Stay away from both of us."
"He'll tire of you soon and he'll discard you, just like all the rest of them. That's the real reason why he pays you, it's not for the sex, not for the little performance you're putting on this weekend, it's to go away quietly when he's done with you. You see, my friend Fitz doesn't believe in love and commitment, not anymore, but a man has needs and I must admit he has exquisite taste in women. Only the best for Fitz," he said wryly. "When he's done with you, call me and I'll triple whatever it is he's paying you."
"Son of a bitch," Fitz roared, charging at Seth, his face contorted with rage and his fists clenched at his sides. In that moment of anger, everything faded away so quickly, as if someone had turned off the electricity, and all that was left was he and Seth. He delivered a perfect punch to Seth's solar plexus. The air rushed out of Seth's lungs and he collapsed to the floor desperately gasping for breath, but the blow short-circuited his brain and his body couldn't figure out how to breathe. Fitz kicked him in the chest, ribs, and stomach repeatedly before Seth rolled away and curled into a ball, trying to protect himself. Fitz seized the opportunity and swiftly kicked him in the kidneys.
Olivia watched on in horror as Fitz mercilessly attached Seth. "Fitz! Fitz! Stop! Please!" she cried, her eyes welling with tears. He ignored her and continued kicking Seth. Standing behind him, Olivia struggled to break up the one-sided fight. She grabbed at Fitz's shoulders, trying to pull him off Seth. It was useless, Fitz was much stronger than she was and he didn't seem to know she was there. She began to beat on his back, shouting for him to stop, but her blows were as impactful as a gnat landing on an elephant. In an act of desperation, Olivia reached up and grabbed a fist full of Fitz's curls, snatching his head back at an awkward angle. Fitz abruptly turned to her, his fists raised and ready to attack the interloper.
When his eyes met hers, it was as if someone doused him with a bucket of cold water. His gaze alternated between an upset Olivia, standing there trembling with tears threatening to fall, and a defeated Seth, curled in a ball on the floor groaning in pain. He grabbed Olivia and pulled her roughly into his embrace, repeatedly kissing her on the top of her head, murmuring apologies. "I wasn't going to hurt you. I could never hurt you. I'm so sorry I scared you."
Olivia wrapped her arms tightly around Fitz's back. Lifting her face toward him, she responded, "I know that. I wasn't scared of you, I was scared for you. Scared about what you would do to Seth and what the consequences would be for you." When Olivia said Seth's name, Fitz moved his head in the direction of the man still lying on the floor.
"Bastard!"
"Is he okay?"
"He's breathing, which is better than he deserves,"
"Fitz, be serious," Olivia said, looking at Seth with genuine concern. "He could be hurt. Should we call a doctor?"
"He'll be fine," Fitz dismissed. "The first blow scared him more than it hurt him. If I'm lucky I cracked a rib or two. He'll be bruised, sore, and pissing blood tomorrow, but he'll live. I was more in control than it seemed. All of his injuries are easily covered by a shirt. No one will know unless the little bitch goes tattling to mommy and daddy. But I doubt he'll do that because, if he did, he'd have to explain why he propositioned and assaulted his friend's fiancée." Turning his focus back to Olivia, he asked, "Are you sure you're not hurt?"
"I'm a little shaken, but I'm fine."
He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, his thumb brushing away the lone tear that had escaped. "Let's get you out of here. Do you want to go up to our room?"
"No, disappearing will just raise suspicions, especially with Stephen and Jean. We should return to the others," she said leading him in the direction of the hallway.
When they turned the corner into the hall, she looked up at him shyly. "Thank you," she said softly.
"Please don't thank me. I'm the reason you were in danger in the first place. I don't want to think about what would have happened if I didn't come looking for you."
Olivia stopped walking and turned toward him, cradling his face in both of her hands for a moment. She tried to make eye contact with him, but he refused to look at her. "Fitz, look at me," she urged. Fitz raised his eyes from the floor and stared at her chin, afraid of what he'd see in her eyes. "Look at me," she commanded softly. Fitz slowly and reluctantly raised his eyes so that he was staring directly into her round, brown doe eyes. He expected to find anger, betrayal, and fear, but instead, all that was present was compassion, gratitude, and a hint of something else he couldn't quite define. "All that's important is that you arrived when you did. I was in trouble and you showed up for me, just like you promised. You defended me at great risk to yourself and, for that, I am immensely grateful. You are not responsible for what Seth did to me. I know what he said and I know some of that rang true for you, but hear me when I say you are not the man he described. I would not be here, now, with that man. You are capable of loving someone else and deserve to be loved in return."
"But what if I lying to both of us and I am that man? I'm no saint and I've had experiences with women I'm not proud of."
"Have you ever forced yourself on a woman or abandoned her to be hurt by someone else?"
"What? No! I'm not a monster."
"Exactly! Only a monster would be capable of doing what you're beating yourself up for doing. You've paid for sex with willing and consensual partners. It's not my favorite thing about you, but that has nothing to do with what just happened."
"Doesn't it? He attacked you because he assumed you were an escort, an assumption he made solely because you were with me."
"Seth attacked me because of who he is, not because of who you are. He saw something he wanted and, when I wouldn't give it to him, he tried to take it. There's nothing charming or seductive about him. He's a predator. He may have thought I was escort, but that doesn't excuse what he did. Even considering our arrangement," she paused swallowing hard, trying hard not to think of herself as another woman he purchased, "you have consistently put me and my comfort first. Trust me when I say the two of you have nothing in common. Now, are you ready to go back in there and join the others?"
Fitz chuckled lightly. "I'm the one that should be taking care of you not the other way around."
Olivia smiled and winked at him, "What can I say, old habits die hard. Now, paint a smile on that pretty face of yours and let's get through the rest of this evening."
When they returned, the group had moved to the living room for after dinner drinks. Fitz escorted Olivia to an armchair, away from the others. "Have a seat here," he instructed. "I'm going to get you a drink. I'll be right back."
Fitz returned with a tumbler filled with two fingers of an amber liquid.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Bourbon, I thought you needed something a little stiffer than wine." When he handed her the glass, he noted that the contents were sloshing around violently, a sign of her trembling hands. Olivia slammed back the tumbler's content in one large gulp. "Whoa, tiger," he teased. "Take it easy." Looking at her closer, he now saw that her bottom lip was quivering and she had drawn her small body into itself. He kneeled before her so that he was eye level with her. "Livvie, are you cold?"
"A little, why?"
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I think the adrenaline from earlier is wearing off and you are going into shock. We need to get you back to the room, where I can take care of you."
"I'm fine," she said waving him off. "I just need a moment to collect myself. Go, join the others. I will be with you shortly."
"Liv, stop. I don't give a damn about these people. All I care about is you, and right now, we need to get you upstairs so I can check you out. Wait here, I'll be right back," he said, rising to his feet.
"Where are you going?" she asked, concern etched in her face.
"To speak with the Merkles."
"What are you going to tell them?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.
Placing his hand over hers, he explained, "It's okay. I'm not going to mention what happened with Seth. Telling them would have to be your decision. I'm just going to say that you're not feeling well and that we are going to head to our room early."
Olivia placed her head in her hands. "They are going to think I'm drunk," she groaned.
"They will think much worse if we keep sitting here until you pass out. Now, stop fighting and let me take care of you." Olivia nodded her head weakly, too exhausted to protest.
She watched as he made his way over to their hosts. Olivia couldn't read their lips, but she assumed Fitz was explaining that she had taken ill and that they needed to excuse themselves. She wanted to crawl under her chair when both Stephen and Jean turned to look at her, a mix of concern and pity in their expression. Stephen patted Fitz on the back and they exchanged a few words before Fitz broke away from the couple and headed toward her.
Olivia rose from her seat, feeling a bit wobbly on her feet. Damn it, she thought to herself, I shouldn't have thrown back that drink so fast. Before she knew it, Fitz was by her side, wrapping a supportive arm around her waist. "I'm fine," she deflected, "just a little buzzed from the bourbon."
"Are you always so stubborn?"
"I happen to think it's one of my better qualities," she retorted.
"Must be one of the few things about you that's not immediately loveable," he teased, leading her out of the room.
Once they were out of sight, Fitz scooped Olivia up into his arms. "Fitz," she shrieked. "Put me down. I can walk."
"I'm not taking any chances. I'm still not sure you're not going to pass out."
"I'm not going to pass out," she giggled. "I'm fine. You're just being fussy and overprotective," she said, snuggling closer to Fitz.
"Call it what you want. I'm not putting you down until we get to the room."
When they passed the entrance to the mudroom, Olivia curled against him, tucking her head up under his chin. "Do you think he's still down there?" she asked hesitantly, shuddering in his arms.
Holding her tighter, he shook his head. "I doubt it. He's probably crawled back to his room by now."
Olivia fell quiet, relaxing a bit in Fitz's arms as he effortlessly carried her up the stairs and into the room they shared. Gently, he placed her on the bed in a seated position facing him. He tried smiling to put her at ease, but the warm expression on his face did nothing to erase the sadness in his eyes. "I need to make sure you're okay, to make sure he didn't hurt you. Is it okay if I look at you, if I touch you?"
Olivia nodded slowly. He removed his jacket from around her body and began to survey her exposed skin. Slowly, he scanned her face and neck, both of which seemed unharmed. He moved onto her arms and hissed loudly, when he found five marks of discoloration, the size of a large male hand. He traced over the marks with his index finger. "Do these hurt?"
Olivia looked where he was pointing and saw the bruises beginning to form. "No. I remember when he grabbed me, but I didn't think it was that hard. Don't worry, I'll cover them with concealer. No one will see them tomorrow," she said coolly.
"I'm worried about you, not about appearances. I don't give a fuck what they think."
"If I don't cover them up they will assume you beat me. Is that what you want?" she spat.
Fitz knew her anger wasn't directed at him so he chose not to take the bait. He wanted to give her what she needed in that moment, but couldn't bear the thought of fighting with her. Not when she was like this. He continued his surveillance of her body. "May I?" he asked hesitantly, his hand at the hem of her dress. Looking away, Olivia nodded her head slowly. Fitz slowly and tentatively eased the edge of her dress up her thigh, trying to prepare himself for what he was sure he would find. With great caution and care, he bunched up the material until he found what he was looking for, a series of finger pad bruises starting to form on her left mid-thigh.
Groaning at the sight, he pictured Seth's hands on her skin, groping and hurting her while she struggled to get away. How long had she been alone with him in the hallway? Why hadn't he been paying more attention? Why didn't he go look for her sooner? He promised her he would take care of her this weekend and he failed. He was the one that deserved to be hurt, punished, not her. Slowly he lowered his face to her leg, placing a gentle kiss on her marred flesh before resting his head in her lap, his nose mere millimeters from her core. Olivia found it odd that, given the circumstances, she could now take comfort from a gesture that just yesterday she would have deemed inappropriate. Olivia absentmindedly ran her fingers through his curls, allowing the slow rise and fall of his chest against her legs soothe her.
"Did he touch you anywhere else?" he whispered against her body, unable to face her as he asked the question that had been on his mind all night.
"No, you found me before…" she said, the voice trailing off, her mind unable to process what could have happened.
Slowly, Fitz rose to his feet. "What can I do? Do you need anything?"
"I just need a minute alone."
"Of course," he said, rushing toward the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked in an alarmed voice, panicked at the idea of him leaving her.
Fitz turned to her, his brows furrowed in confusion. Understanding what she needed, he reached for the doorknob, locking the door. "Nowhere, I'm just locking the door. I'm going to take a shower and give you some space. Is that ok?" She nodded silently. He moved quickly to the dresser, in search of pajamas. "Here," he said handing her a Yale t-shirt. "This one's older than my Harvard shirt. Probably softer too. I thought you might want to sleep in this."
"Thanks," she said, taking the shirt from him, her eyes softening as she looked at him.
"Do you need anything else?" She shook her head slowly. Headed toward the bathroom, he said, "I won't lock the door. If you need anything just come in." Olivia didn't reply, instead turning her head away from him, effectively ending their conversation.
When he came out of the bathroom and found Olivia sobbing in the middle of the bed. "Oh, Livvie," he cried, quickly moving to be seated on the edge of the bed, reaching out and stroking her back softly. "What can I do? What do you need? Do you want to leave? I'll pack our things and we can get out of here tonight. Do you want Jake? I can call him. My father's plane returned to Miami. I can have him here with you in a few hours. Just tell me what you want, anything, and I'll do it."
Fitz felt her body start to convulse and thought she was crying harder. He stretched his body over hers and that's when he heard it. She was laughing. It started small, but continued to build until it bordered on hysteria. Fitz looked at her in terror, afraid that the shock had settled in and that she would require medical attention. Olivia didn't know why, but the panicked look on his face only made her laugh harder. She wanted to stop laughing, but she couldn't control it. It was as if her body had chosen that awkward moment to expel all of the emotions from earlier that evening. After thirty seconds of uncontrollable laughter, she calmed down and repositioned in the bed so that we was facing him. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping the tears away from her face, "that's just the first time you've gotten his name right."
"Excuse me," he countered, his face twisted into a mask of confusion.
"My husband, his name is Jake," she explained. "For the past few years you have called him every J name possible, except his name, Jake. Tonight is the first time you've ever called him by his actual name."
Realizing that she was okay, Fitz exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. "Jake, your husband," he said with a wicked smile, "do you want me to call him? To fly him up here."
"No," she said with a hint of sadness. "Don't call him. I'm not ready to talk to him. "
"Are you sure? My feelings won't be hurt. I can fly him up with the plane and you both could be home and safely tucked in your bed before morning."
"I'm sure," she said, her confidence growing. "He would just go all alpha male, blaming everything on you, and insist I come home with him."
"He'd be right," Fitz said, weakly.
"He wouldn't," she snapped, "and I'm not going to say it again. Seth attacked me, not you. Stop trying to accept the blame for his actions."
"Maybe you should go. You've suffered enough because of me. I don't want to risk anything else happening to you. I want you to be safe."
"Do you think I'm unsafe here?" she asked, sitting up in the middle of the bed and hugging herself. "I trust you to protect me."
"Do you?" he asked, nodding at her defensive body posture.
Craving closeness, Olivia scooted closer to Fitz, fighting the urge to crawl in his lap. "I do," she said, wedging herself under his arm, inhaling his clean, fresh scent, a heady combination of sandalwood from his body wash, baby powder from his deodorant, and his natural musk. "I knew you would find us. I told Seth as much. I was scared, but I knew you were coming. I knew you wouldn't let him hurt me. If I stay will I be a distraction? Do you want me to leave?"
He opened his arms, inviting her to move closer before he wrapped her in his warm and soothing embrace. He rested his face on her head, basking in the way she felt in his arms. "I don't want you to go. I'm better with you than I am without you."
"You're right. We make a good team. We're not finished with this weekend. We still need to close the Patterson Place deal."
"I agree, but that's not why I want you to stay."
Olivia pulled away from him so she could see his face. There was a tenderness to his expression that she didn't recall being there before. "Why do you want me to stay?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Fitz tilted her head down and planted a tender kiss to her forehead, allowing his lips to linger longer than needed. Reaching for a pillow, he said, "It's been a long day. I should let you get some rest."
Olivia placed her hand on his arm, stilling his movements. "There is something I want, but I'll understand if you don't want to," she said shyly.
"Anything," he replied, reaching for his phone on the nightstand.
"You should be careful with statements like that. It could be dangerous offering women blank checks the way you do."
Fitz smiled shyly, he didn't offer women blank checks, only her. There was something about the way she looked at him, the way he felt when he touched or kissed her, that made him willing to risk it all to see her smile again. Everything about her was so devastatingly distracting – her beauty, intelligence, strength, humor, about compassion, but it was her vulnerability that undid him completely. These intangibles simultaneously terrified him and made him long for her. Looking at her now, made small by her insecurity, he knew there was nothing that he wouldn't give her or do for her and that terrified him. If he felt this way now, when she was another man's wife, how would these feelings intensify if they allowed their relationship go further. Pulling himself out of this thoughts, he replied, "I trust you. What can I do?"
"Will you hold me?" she asked meekly.
"Of course," he said, grinning broadly. He reached forward to turn off the bedside lamp and crawled under the covers, holding them open for her to join him. Olivia snuggled in close to him, inching backwards until her back was pressed against his front. He wrapped his arm around her, resting his hand on her abdomen. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep and then I'll move to the floor."
Olivia laid her arm over his, hugging him tightly to her. "Don't leave," she pleaded. "Stay with me until the morning." There was a long pause and then she added, "Tell me I'm different."
"You already know that you are."
"I need to hear you say it."
"Haven't I shown you?"
"I don't know that I can trust what I feel when I'm around you."
"Will you trust me when I say it?"
"I think so."
"Turn over."
"What?"
"Turn over. I'm not having this conversation with the back of your head." Olivia flipped over so that she was facing him. The room was dark, but there was enough ambient light coming from the window that he could make out the outline of her face and the whites of her eyes. Once she settled, he wrapped an arm around her waist, allowing his hand to rest in the curve of her lower back, and began speaking. "Olivia Pope Ballard you are unlike any woman that I've ever met. You are neither disposable nor interchangeable. My world doesn't work or make sense without you. We are not ever going to be over, not even when you are old and gray and can't remember my name. I don't know what Seth said to you to make you doubt yourself, doubt my intentions, but it was a lie. He just doesn't get us, but he doesn't have to because we understand what we have and that's all that matters."
Olivia lay there, staring speechless at Fitz, grateful that the darkness made it difficult for him to see the tears that were welling in her eyes. His words twisted her inside out. She wasn't sure what she expected him to say, but it wasn't remotely close to what he said. She was seeking reassurance that she wasn't his latest plaything, something to toy with while he was bored. What he had given her was so much more. She replayed his words, carefully parsing each phrase, and was left wondering what it was he felt they had. Was he describing the relationship between a boss and his Girl Friday or was he alluding to something else, something more?
Fitz waited patiently for a response and, when he didn't receive one, asked, "Is there anything else I can do?"
"No. I'm fine, for real this time, not like before."
"Good. Now go to sleep," he instructed, kissing her on the bridge of her nose.
Olivia assumed her previous position, spooned in the curves of Fitz's body. She released a long yawn and, like a cat, stretched her lithe body out beside him, squirming around trying to get comfortable. He stifled a moan when her butt grazed across his crotch. He grabbed her hip firmly, halting her movements. "Liv, I'm going to need you to be still before I embarrass myself."
"Oh," she giggled, suddenly aware of her surroundings. "Sorry! I forgot it's been four days," she teased.
Fitz's face flushed with desire. He couldn't imagine a time, four days of abstinence or otherwise, when his body wouldn't respond to being this close to her. Even now, when it was completely inappropriate, he wanted her with a yearning he'd never experienced. He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. "Get some rest, beautiful. I'll be right here beside you when you wake up in the morning."
"Goodnight, Fitz," she mumbled sleepily.
"Goodnight, Liv."
A/N: Well, Fitz finally made his way into Olivia's bed, but it's not the way either of them thought it would happen. This chapter turned out darker than I originally planned, but as Jonathan Lockwood Huie said, "The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow." And, I have a very bright tomorrow planned for our couple. As always, I'm eager to read your thoughts about what you liked and disliked.