Gregory found her sitting on the last step before the landing on the staircase, holding the white box and its' neat silver bow in her lap. "I see you found one of your presents." He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Well, open it sweetheart."

Olivia undid the bow, reaching out to drape the silver ribbon around his neck. "You didn't have to do this. I don't need anything."

"You don't need anything yet." He corrected. "It's my job to anticipate your needs and I like to take pride in my work."

"That's certainly true, you have always been especially dedicated to your work." Olivia remarked sardonically as she lifted the cover of the box and dug through the tissue paper. "This is beautiful." It was a suit, cut of a deep purple silk that was nearly black. Sighing in appreciation, she held the jacket up to her shoulders. "Where did you find it?"

Chuckling as he watched her face light up, Gregory moved to take the box from her as she lifted her present out. "I had it shipped from France before we left. I wanted it to get here by Monday."

Using the ribbon around his neck to pull his face in close, Olivia coyly kissed his cheek. "What's happening on Monday that I'd need a suit for?"

Gregory raised his eyebrows and shrugged, feigning innocence as his eyes twinkled. "You'll just have to go upstairs to find out." Taking her hand, he threw her new suit over his shoulder and started up towards the bedroom.

Olivia giggled as he ran his fingers up the back of her spine. "What else could you be hiding upstairs?"

"You'll just have to see, won't you?" Gregory opened the door to the bedroom and followed her in. "The one on your pillow is for last. You have to find the other two first."

"Find them?" Toying with the collar of his shirt, Olivia wondered if she could cajole any more hints out of him. "I hope you didn't hide them too well." Her hand ran up into his hair. "I had plans for you."

He kissed her forehead and broke away to hang up her new suit in the closet. "You can find them all without leaving the bedroom. If you want any more hints, you'll have to earn them." Gregory's left hand ran up the flowing hem of her dress.

She spun away, pulling the dress from his hand, and started looking around the bedroom. As he took an unnaturally long time in the closet, Olivia realized he was hiding something. "It's really unfair of you to interfere and then expect me to work for my hints. It seems like a conflict of interest to me."

He put up his hands, amused by her stab into his subject matter. "Conflict of interest? Very observant of you Liv. I'll sit on the bed. Would you like to search it first?"

Olivia ignored him as she stole the next box from the bottom of the closet. "If you're bringing it up, then I don't need to." She set the box down on the end of the bed, unable to keep from wondering what the gold-wrapped present on her pillow was even as she took the ribbon off the next one. "This one's heavy."

Untucking his shirt, he rested his head on his elbow and watched as the elegant leather briefcase appeared from more of the tissue paper. "It's all in the craftsmanship Liv. An excellent briefcase has a little weight to it."

She hugged it to her for a moment, trying the brass clasps. It was beautiful, classic without being overstated. "It's lovely darling, but I'm afraid I don't understand why I need a briefcase, excellent or otherwise."

Gregory found the puzzled expression on her face too pleasing to ruin it for her. "You could try and earn a hint."

"I'm not giving you the statisfaction." Trying to sound irritated, Olivia turned away from him and continued searching their bedroom.

He found watching her almost as enjoyable as holding the mystery of his gifts over her head. This little red dress would have to come out more often in the future. It made a beautiful curve from the middle of her back downwards and floated sensuously behind her as she wandered around the room.

With a delighted cry she found the last present in the bathroom. Gregory set the briefcase aside while he waited for her to sit down next to him on the bed. "See, it wasn't that difficult."

"So this one explains the mystery?"

"It might." Gregory replied vaguely, smiling patiently as she ripped the ribbon off.

Beneath the paper this time was a brass nameplate identical to the one on his desk at work, but with her name engraved on it instead. She held it in front of her, entirely confused. "I don't understand."

"I've been having an affair." He started softly as he traced the letters of her name on the plate in front of him. She dropped it instantly, her hands going to her chest in surprise. Olivia felt immediately sick. Gregory's heart melted when he saw the color drain from her face. "With my work sweetheart." The explaination made her heart start again.

"With my work." He repeated as he calmed her with a hand on her cheek. "I've been letting it come between us for years. I've given it so much of my attention, I might even have been around more often if I was with another woman."

Agreeing as she leaned into his touch, Olivia picked up the nameplate again. Gregory stroked her cheekbone with his finger, wondering how many of the fine lines around her eyes were his fault. How many late nights had been too many?

"This-" He took the brass and shined it with the corner of his shirt. "Is my way of finally defeating the 'other woman'." His smiled, but his eyes seemed closer to crying. "I thought I'd introduce her to the woman who really matters." Gregory rolled over, taking a folded piece of paper from the drawer in the bedside table. "Public relations director Olivia Richards."

"After you sign, you'll be twenty feet away from my office."

Speechless, she took the contract and looked it over. It was exactly what he said. He had her named public relations director for the new hospital project and every board member of Liberty, Alex Mitchum, Roger Baxter, Ben Evans and Gregory Richards, had already signed her confirmation. "What were you thinking?" Olivia finally asked, shock etched in her face.

"That you're a beautiful, intelligent, well-spoken woman who doesn't have enough of a challenge in her life." He played with the thin strap of her dress, teasing it off her shoulder. "Someone I trust. Someone the stockholders can trust."

The heat of his hands raced up to her face, coloring her neck pink. Olivia searched his eyes, trying to find his motivation but finding only his passion, smoldering behind the earnest brown of his eyes. "This is what you want." She decided as his burning fingers traced her collarbone. "You really want me to come work for you."

"I want to give you back every hour you lost when I was sitting in my office." His voice was hushed as Gregory admitted his feelings. "I owe you so much more." Tapping the contract, he found a pen in the drawer and folded it into her fingers. "But this is a start."

Olivia looked at him and saw the truth in his eyes. Without any more thought, she signed her name neatly at the bottom of the contract. Gregory traded it for the box brightly wrapped in gold foil. "You've earned your way up to this one."

Slitting the tape on the bottom carefully with her fingernail, she unfolded it a flap at a time. Gregory wished she would tear the foil, impatient to see her face when she saw it for the first time. Sensing his hurry, she took her time. The tip of her tongue darted from between her lips, moistening them. Watching her slow, deliberate motions was maddening. Gregory had wanted to make love to her since he had witnessed her dancing. Smoothing out the wrinkles in the foil, Olivia started to fold it into a neat square before he snatched it away from her and shredded it into little pieces all over the bed.

"Just open the box."

Olivia conceded as he slipped the other strap of her dress over the curve of her shoulder, letting it fall down her arm. The hinge of the black velvet jewelry box creaked as it opened. The light from the ceiling fell on the dazzling array of stones and scattered into a hundred points. Glimmering on her face and the wall behind her in flashes of blue.

"Darling-" Olivia gasped as he removed it from the box and more of the light hit it. "It's gorgeous, really gorgeous." A circle of sapphires, flanked by diamonds, with a centerpiece of a stone as blue as the open ocean. Gregory hung it reverently around her neck, letting it settle into the bare curves of her chest above that damn red dress.

"It hardly does you justice." He whispered as he pulled her up from the bed. "But, I'm afraid it'll have to do."

Wrapping her left hand around his neck, they danced together to the silent music in their room. "You're spoiling me."

"Shhh…" Gregory twirled her around, catching her back into his arms, holding her close as he was mesmerized by her beauty. "If you don't say anything, I might keep it up."

Olivia leaned up to kiss him, loosing herself in her hunger for his mouth. When they finally parted lips, he moved aside the center stone to kiss her chest.

"There isn'tany music darling" She protested as he spun her around again.

"We've never needed music." Gregory insisted as he dipped her back nearly to the level of the bed. "And I've been waiting to get you out of this dress all afternoon."