Josephine
The soft lightning of the sun wakes me up the next morning. I open my eyes and stare at the empty bedside. The sun is shining through the white transom windows that are behind the bed. Edward is already awake. The running shower fills my ears as I slowly wake up from my sleep. The bathroom door across the bed has been left ajar. The cotton bedsheets feel cool against my skin as the memories of last night fill my mind. I slept with Edward.
I drag my hands down my face. No, I didn't sleep with Ed - I fucked him.
And the second he fell asleep I wrote Oliver a text, telling him how badly I miss him.
What the hell is wrong with me?! Why did I do this?! I should have more self control.
"Morning!"
My eyes shoot open at Edward's voice. He's standing across me in his naked glory. His shredded body is glittering with a few water drops and his blonde hair is still damp. But his turquoise eyes are shining brighter than the smile on his lips.
Right, that's why I slept with him.
"Good morning." I greet him and watch how he walks over to my side of the bed. He's clearly confident in his own skin. Why shouldn't he? He's hot as hell!
"How did you sleep?" He asks me before sitting down on the edge of the bed. The look he gives me makes my head spin.
"Good." I answer simply as his fingers brush through my hair. "What about you?"
He smiles at me before kissing me softly. I notice that my lips are still swollen. "I slept brilliantly."
I just kissed his lips but my body starts craving more already. I grab the edge of my bedsheet to keep my fingers from pulling him into the bed with me. I can't fuck him again. I've already done too much damage. "So, I don't snore?" I ask with a smirk on my lips. Oliver never complained about me snoring but I know he has very deep and restful sleep.
Ed chuckles before rubbing his nose against mine. "No and I know I don't either. I told you we'd be a great match."
Great doesn't even come close to what we've experienced last night. The sex was one of the best I've ever had. The orgasms are on the same level as the ones I've had with Oliver.
I still can't say who's the better lover.
Because they're so different.
Maybe I shouldn't compare them.
"Everything alright?"
I nod, "Yeah. I should take a shower before we fly back to Paris..." I mumble before lifting the bedsheet off of my body. To my surprise Edward's eyes down leave mine. Last night he didn't see anything as we didn't turn on the light. We only felt each other's shredded bodies but didn't see it.
Still, Ed respects me too much to reduce me to my body shape. Not that I have anything to feel shameful about. I love my body!
"Sure. How about you come downstairs for breakfast afterwards?" He asks me before rising from the bed again.
He didn't even give me a tour of his summer holiday home. "I don't know where your kitchen is."
"Just follow your nose." Ed says with a smile on his lips.
"Are you going to cook for me?"
He laughs at my question. "God no! I have many talents but cooking is not one of them. Madame Beauchamp will take care of breakfast. But I do make a pretty good coffee."
I smile and nod, "Coffee sounds good."
"How do you drink yours?"
"Black." I answer before walking into the en-suite bathroom. The bathroom is elegant with a rustic feeling. The vanities underneath the sink are made of oak and there's a stunning old golden mirror hanging above it. The shower with the glass door is held in white marble, just like the floor. There's a free standing bathtub in front of white transom windows. It's not as luxurious as I thought it would be but it's very charming. The room is floating with sunlight. Ed has already opened the windows, so I can hear the tweeting birds that are outside.
I open the door of the shower and climb in.
I turn on the rain shower head above me and let the cold water cool my body down.
Oliver
Tu me manques.
Josephine is not one for lots of words but when she does decide to give me a glimpse into her soul, it always blows me away.
Tu me manques - I couldn't have said it better.
I haven't replied to her message and I don't think I should. Simply because she has said it all when she really said so little.
I can't stop smiling since I've read her message. I hardly slept because I am so excited to be seeing her again tonight. She'll be here in less than 16 hours and I'm counting every second.
The hours can't go by fast enough. I am on such a high that I don't even care about finding her photographs that she so eagerly hides from everyone. She will show them to me when she's ready... when she has enough trust.
Tu me manques.
Josephine
I feel sick. As the hours approach, I start to feel more and more sick. I don't know what's wrong with me. I shouldn't have agreed to the date at the Four Seasons with Edward in the first place and I sure as hell shouldn't have agreed to this trip to the Provence but most of all I shouldn't have enjoyed the sex so much.
I actually enjoyed it so much that I repeated my mistake as soon as I saw Edward walking into the bedroom after I finished showering with a cup of black coffee. We had another round of breathtaking sex - no, actually it was three.
I don't know what it is about Edward Rothschild but I cannot seem to have myself under control when I'm around him. I feel like one of these lovesick characters from a Nicholas Sparks movie that Rory loves so much. I turn into a different person when I am with him.
But I like this person.
I like being eye to eye with him on the financial level as well as sharing the same interests and values. Ed is right, we would be something great. I already know that our sexual chemistry is great.
But why do I feel so sick then?
I sigh and pick up my iPhone before unlocking the screen. My words from last night stare back at me.
Tu me manques.
I don't know why I wrote that text to Oliver. I shouldn't have. I don't even know what it's suppose to mean, if it even means something... if he really is a part of me.
And Oliver didn't even respond! But I guess I deserve that as I didn't respond to his message for over 24 hours. He probably thinks I'm having the time of my life - and in a way I am, just not with Ana but with Ed.
I sigh as my eyes scan the stunning backyard in front of me. Steps lead down to the pool area that is massive. There are sixteen beige sun lounges on each side of the rectangular pool. There are places to eat around round tables with five chairs. Lavender is everywhere, giving the ultimate provencal vibes. It's so peaceful. Every now and then I can hear the horses that are roughly a kilometre away from here. His summer house is huge and beautifully decorated. The vineyards are growing endlessly around the house. These kind of places would be jaw dropping to everyone else but me. Simply because I grew up in this kind luxury. It's normal for me.
But this would make an epic party location. I'm sure there has been lots of parties involving the Monégasque Royalty. Prince Jacques and Princess Gabrielle of Monaco are close friends with the Rothschilds as well. Given the many shared friends and close families, it seems almost weird that I've never been here.
I turn around and stare at The Coat of Arms of the Rothschild family that is hanging behind me. A stunning colourful crest made of solid gold. The title of nobility granted to the Rothschilds by Austria permitted the use of the 'von' in the name and stems from an Order in Council of Francis I of 21 October 1816. The design includes: First quarter, an eagle sable surcharged in dexter by a field gules (referring to the Imperial and Royal Austrian Coat of Arms); Second quarter, gules, a leopard passant proper (referring to the English Coat of Arms); Third quarter, a lion rampant (referring to the Hessian Electoral Coat of Arms); Fourth quarter, azure, an arm bearing five arrows (a symbol of the unity of the five brothers). In the centre of the coat a shield gules. Right hand supporter, a greyhound, is a symbol of loyalty; the left supporter, a stork, is a symbol of piety and content. The crest is a coronet surmounted by the lion of Hesse.
But the Rothschilds asked for separate patents of nobility for each of the four brothers as they lived in different countries. The separate patents were granted, but the design was considered too grand. The response to the application had a 'suitable' design attached to it, without the coronet, heraldic animals supporting the shield, or the lion and leopard. Also, the arm grasped just four arrows. A letter in the Archive from Amschel to Salomon and Nathan in November 1816 reads, "...James and Carl received the nobility. It is a pity that Nathan did not want it."
The grant to Nathan and his heirs, and also to his brothers and their heirs, refers to Nathan's brothers as 'de' Rothschild. It was accompanied by the following armorial design: Azure, a lion passant guardant erminois grasping five arrows the pheons downwards, or, and for the crest on a wreath of the colours, out of a crown vallery gules a demi lion erminois holding between the paws five arrows as in the arms.
The design for the arms was modified again in 1882: the seven-pointed coronet was restored, the lion was granted, there were five arrows, the lion and unicorn as supporters, three helmets and a latin motto. The lion was an important concession as far as the brothers were concerned, and they felt that its inclusion in the English Arms was a triumph which helped in the negotiations with the Austrian Heralds. The Barony was granted to the five brothers and their heirs and descendants of both sexes. The description of the Arms is as follows:
Arms: A pointed gold and blue quartered shield with a red central shield, in the middle of which is a right-facing shield; above right on a golden shield is a simple black eagle with open jaws, red outstretched tongue, wings spread, taken from the Arms; above left and below right in the two blue fields comes out of each edge of the shield a bare arm, the hands of which hold five white-feathered arrows with the points downwards; below left on a golden field is an upright natural Lion with open jaws, red outstretched tongue.
Crest: The shield is surmounted by a baronial crown, wound round with small pearls and decorated with five large pearls, topped with three crowns which are surrounded with, on the right, black and gold and on the left blue and silver covering, on top of noble "tournament-style" helmets; from the crown positioned above the visor of the helmet in the centre stands the eagle as described above, the helmets on the right and left are turned towards one another, from the crown on the right helmet floats a golden star between two alternately coloured gold and black buffalo horns, from the crown on the left helmet come three ostrich feathers, viz. two blue and one silver.
Supporters: In the foreground as supporters are, right, an upright golden lion with open jaws, red outstretched tongue, and holding the shield with the forepaws; left a silver unicorn, likewise supporting the arms with front feet.
Motto: Beneath the shield are written on a flowing red and white band the Latin words: 'Concordia, Integritas, Industria' (Harmony, Integrity, Diligence).
The Coat of Arms of the Rothschild Family is stunning. It's full of history. It reminds me of Rory's Coat of Arms. I'm sure Ed has his own version of it as he's a direct descendant of Nathan de Rothschild. So technically, Edward's name is Edward de Rothschild. But apparently he doesn't use it. Because the name Rothschild is enough for people to get the hint.
The same goes for the Oxford family, Rory doesn't use her last name Mountbatten-Windsor. But the same also applies to me. Bolton - my last name is as powerful as Mountbatten-Windsor or Rothschild, although I don't have a coat of arms.
My eyes move up the two story French mansion that's halfway covered in ivy and lilac wisteria. The wisteria reminds me of our make out session in the little village last night after having dinner at the coast. It's a beautiful home with balconies, transom windows and deep green window shutters. It's luxurious without being pompous. The Rothschilds fortune is estimated anywhere between 750 billion and one trillion dollars, when the Boltons are worth almost the same. We would be a great match.
This is a place of inner peace.
Yet, I feel unease and sick.
While Ed is taking some call in the living room, I stayed outside in the backyard where we've had our breakfast. Croissants with strawberry jam, black coffee, orange juice and scrambled eggs - simple, but yet delicious.
I felt like a lovesick teenager through the whole breakfast. My stomach was twisting and turning, I had sweaty hands and I blushed even though it's not hot yet. It's insane what this man makes me feel without having the intention.
I don't know what this was in the last two days but I like it. I like it a lot.
But then I think of my flight back to London and I feel so sick that I want to vomit all of the breakfast out of my body. As if this would help me in anyway.
Nothing helps me.
I brush brought my long chestnut waves and decide to turn my confusion into anger - that's directed to my idiot of a brother. I quickly find his number in my iPhone and call him.
"Hello?"
"You are fucking unbelievable!" I yell into the phone. "How fucking dare you spill a family secret! My NDAs are a very private matter and no one but the family should know about it!"
"Woah, what are you talking about?" Nate's confused voice asks me.
"Edward Rothschild, you idiot!"
"Oh yeah, I met him a few times at the White's. I thought you guys would be a great match-"
"And you bloody told him about my NDAs! Nate, how could you?!"
"I didn't tell him shit!"
I roll my eyes, "Yeah, right."
"No, it's true. I didn't mention your NDAs. Never have and never will. Family is the most important thing in the world and you're my little sister! I would never hurt you. All I told him was that you guys would make a great couple but that you're careful when it comes to dating publicly. That's when he got it on his own. He knew you'd be making some kind of preparations for the men you were seeing."
"Shit and I confirmed his thoughts." I think out loud. He tested me - and I failed. Damn it! I've had training with Wlad. I can read people like no other - but I can't read Ed.
Because my pussy is in the way! Fuck!
"You met him?"
"Slept with him. I'm on his estate in Provence right now."
"No way!" My older brother laughs on the other end of the line. "Maybe I should be the cupid of the family now and give Ana a break."
"Don't be so full of yourself!" I hiss and sigh.
"You like him?"
A little too much. "He's quite fascinating."
"He's a good man you know. He has never talked about the women he fucked. He doesn't brag with women. He respects them. And he's doing a hell of a lot of charity. He's touring the world and helping everywhere he can!"
"He's a good guy?"
"I wouldn't have dropped your name if he wasn't. I've known him for years but he was constantly in foreign countries so I couldn't introduce him to you. Mummy and Daddy would love seeing you two together! I bet they're already picking out baby names!"
"You bloody told them?!"
"No, but you know Mummy. She's always worried about us."
Another reason why I never want to have children. "I know..." I exhale loudly. "Can we meet for lunch next week?"
"Yeah. Does tuesday sound good?"
"Yes. I'll text you the address."
"I thought we'd be going to Luigi's."
"No. I need somewhere more private to talk to you."
"Jo, you're not preggers, are you?!"
"Bloody hell, no! I'm going to teach you how to be a Royal!" I hiss before hanging up.
"Everything alright?" Ed asks me and a second later I can feel his arms around me.
His arms around me give me chills and make my stomach fill with the need to kiss him again. "Yeah... what about you?"
He sighs, "I'm afraid, we have to fly back to Paris earlier than I wanted to." He runs his hands down my arms, "I wanted to show you Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Lafite-Rothschild in Bordeaux before flying back to Paris but I guess we have to reschedule it."
I turn around in his embrace, "Are you going to save the world a little sooner than planned?"
He nods, "There was a monsoon in northeast India. I'm flying there to help sort out the situation..."
India is a commonwealth country. That means The King is going to send Char and Nate there as his triumph cards, a.k.a. Rory and George, are currently on parental leave. "I think you're going to meet Nate and Char there." I think out loud.
"The King will send them there?"
I shrug, "Or he could fly himself to show how much he cares." Since he is still pissed at Nate, who knocked up Princess Char before getting married. King Charles is still leaving them in the dark about the whole title-thing, so maybe he's going to fly there.
"It would be an honour to meet the King again."
Somehow, this sentence doesn't surprise me at all. Edward Rothschild lives in my world, he shares the same values as me, he is insanely charming and hot as hell, we are on eye level...
He seems like the perfect man for me.
The helicopter lands smoothly on the roof of the Ritz hotel in Paris two hours later. Ralph and his security team are waiting for me next to the lift that leads to the presidential suite. They're all dressed in black suits with silver ties from Armani. Most of these men look like models rather than security men but I've never crossed the line with either of these men. Partly because it would be highly unprofessional no matter how hot they are and partly because Della has already done that with Wladimir.
He was her bodyguard for over 16 years before they became an item.
I open the seatbelt and climb out of the helicopter. It's quite windy up here but the sky is cloudless. Yet, it's much colder than in the Provence. The wind blows against my legs so my black plissé skirt by Armani almost blows up and exposes my panties. I quickly gather the excess fabric as Ed climbs out of the helicopter after me.
I walk away from the helicopter and underneath the roofed space a few meters away from my security team. Edward follows me with his long legs. I swear, he looks like a supermodel when he's really a philanthropist. It makes my heart beat faster in my chest. The wind is still blowing through my long chestnut hair so I tuck the flying pieces behind my ear as best as I could. I didn't bother blow drying my hair perfectly. It air dried when we had breakfast on the terrace at the Rothschild's estate.
As soon as he has reached me, his hands are already cupping my face. "I can't go inside. My jet takes off in twenty minutes. The helicopter will bring me to the private airport."
I know which one he means. It's where Ana and I landed. It's roughly an hour away from here by car. I nod and put on a smile. "Okay. It was a great weekend. I really enjoyed it."
He smiles at me, "I'll see you Nate's wedding." He promises me.
"I wish you success and strong nerves in Sri Lanka. I know it's going to be hard to see all these people." I place my hands on his and fondle the back of his hands with my thumbs. His turquoise eyes are sparkling like aquamarines in the sun.
"I now have something to hold on to." He whispers before resting his forehead against mine.
Sweet Jesus, my whole body awakes from this touch. "Edward,"
"Until the second of June." His warm breath flashes against my face.
"I might save you two dances." I smirk.
He chuckles, "Okay."
"Okay." I whisper back. Somehow, I am unable to let go of him.
What's wrong with me?!
I gather myself together and remove my hands from his before straightening my shoulders.
Edward turns on his heel. He didn't even kiss me goodbye.
I turn around and watch him walk away from me. "Ed," I call out.
He turns around at my voice.
I run over to him and seal my lips over his. I don't care if the whole security team sees me kissing Ed. "Second of June." I remind him.
He smiles before kissing me softly again. "Second of June."
I walk away from him before it gets too hard. Ralph and his six headed team keep a straight face. They're professionals after all.
"Miss Bolton," Ralph greets me with a firm nod. "Welcome back to Paris."
"Great to be back. Ana is in the suite?" I ask him.
"Yes. Eagerly waiting for you, if I might add." He shows me a little smirk before calling the lift.
I haven't even gone through the door yet, when Ana starts with her inquisition.
"Where did you go?" My blonde sister asks me with wide bright green eyes.
"Would you let me in first?" I say back before pushing her slightly backwards with my hands on her shoulders in order to get inside.
"You're still wearing the same outfit you did when you guys left yesterday morning." Ana notices. She's wearing a black yoga outfit by lululemon. It's her usual outfit whenever we're travelling.
"I am but as I can see you've already put on your flight outfit. Before we fly home I still have to go to Chanel and buy the handbags for Char." I say instead. I don't want to talk about Ed and this weekend. What happened in France, will stay in France.
And in 15 weeks we can revisit the situation.
"I already bought the purses. Virgine Viard has sent them directly from the creative house to the private airport. They've already been loaded into our jet."
I nod, "No weird gazes or something?"
My sister shakes her head, "No. I told her it would be for Rory's baby shower. She added brooches and earrings."
Made from real platinum, diamonds and pearls. "That's very nice of her."
Ana nods, "She and Rory are already designing the outfit for the outing in front of the Lindo Wing steps."
I still can't understand why Rory would present herself - and her three daughters - on the silver plate just a few hours after giving birth. The King said he would give her a day of rest at the Lindo Wing max, since Catherine got the same privilege when she gave birth to her firstborn, Rory's husband. "I see. Well, this outing will be just as important, if not more important, than her wedding day."
"And our sister is very much aware of it." Ana smiles before brushing through my hair. It's almost curly like Rory and Mummy's hair because I let it air dry. "I like your hair like that."
I hate it. It's a weird mix between beautifully wavy and dry curls. Perhaps I should get a Brazilian keratin treatment the next time I'm at my hairdresser. "I don't want to talk about Ed or what happened."
"Okay. Did you have fun?"
"Too much." I admit.
"I see... but you're alright?"
No. I am not. I am confused and I feel sick... and I miss him.
I just don't know who I mean by him. Do I miss Ed? Or do I miss Oliver?
"Jo?"
I shake my head and shrug, "I'm pretty confused." I admit again.
Without a word, my sister wraps her arms around me. It feels good to embrace her. "You'll figure it out." She whispers into my ear. "Listen to your heart. It will guide you."
I have no idea what she means. "Ana, I'm not Mummy. I don't do this heart and romance shit."
My sister sighs before letting go of me. "We're boarding in an hour. We should get going. I packed your suitcase. Do you want to change?"
I nod. "And shower." I tell her.
I need to wash Edward Rothschild off of me.
"Okay but before you do that, something has arrived in your absence." Ana says with a smile.
"What came?"
"See it yourself. It's in your room."
I frown before walking past her. I walk through the wide living room and open the left door where my bedroom for the last two nights where. There are two red boxes laying on the edge of the tidy bed. They're both from Cartier.
But I didn't buy anything from Cartier.
I walk over to the bed and pick up the first rectangular box. Did Cartier send them to me as a thank you for attending their party? It wouldn't be the first time I get sent jewellery as a Thank-You. I open the red box with the golden Cartier imprint...
And stare at glittering yellow diamond bracelet. 45 stunning marquise shaped yellow diamonds. It's the same bracelet I tried on two days ago! I can't believe it!
I notice a note in the cap. On beige parchment paper, there are blue inked words written in a simple and clean handwriting style. Round edges and big letters.
'It belongs on your wrist. Think of me when you wear it.
E.R.'
Edward bought me this bracelet? I've never been gifted anything from the men I fucked before. Firstly because it was only for one night and secondly because I don't need anyone to buy me anything. I have enough money myself to buy the whole world - several times. Money doesn't impress me.
I frown before opening the second red Cartier box. It's much bigger than the box of the bracelet. A Cartier jadeite necklace is staring back at me. It features 27 imperial jadeite beads, with diameters ranging from 15.4 to 19.2 mm and a clasp that's made out of baguette-cut diamonds and buff-top calibré-cut rubies. It's stunning! I recognise it right away because it's one of the most famous necklaces in the world. It once belong to Barbara Hutton. As granddaughter of the Woolworth founder, Barbara Hutton inherited one of America's greatest fortunes. During her lifetime she accrued one of the most impressive jewellery collections ever seen, and she was renowned for her daring taste - in both contemporary jewels as well as historical pieces.
It's the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace from the 1930s, which was once auctioned for 28 million dollars in Hong Kong. The origin of the 27 perfectly carved jadeite beads in the necklace remains unknown, although it has been speculated that they were cut in the 18th century. At the time, the jewel had a clasp that was crafted by Cartier and set with a single navette-cut diamond. A year later, Barbara commissioned Cartier to replace it with the yellow gold clasp set with calibre-cut rubies and baguette-cut diamonds currently on the necklace.
How the hell did Ed get his hands on this necklace?! I look into the inside of the red lid and see another handwritten note.
'Something to wear for the evening reception of the Royal Wedding. Remember, you saved me a dance.
E.R.'
I smile at his words. I really did save him a dance.
And I guess now I have to build my outfit around the green jadeite necklace with a ruby clasp.
The flight home to London is smooth. We've had caviar with champagne, a chickpea soup and a steak as the main course. Ana worked on her MacBook silently but I couldn't focus on work or my emails no matter how much I wanted to.
So, I decided to stare out of the windows. Something I haven't done since I was little. I watched how we took off in Paris and how the beauty and the lights that make up this city got smaller and smaller.
"Are you going to tell Oliver what happened?" My sister asks me as we have almost reached London.
"Yes. I have to."
"Because you feel guilty?"
I don't think this is why I felt so much unease during the day. "No, because we promised each other honesty."
"You will hurt him, you know."
"Oliver's a big boy. If he doesn't like what I did he may as well leave." I hiss at her.
"Does Edward know about Oliver?"
"Yeah, I told him."
"And he still slept with you?"
I shrug, "Look at me. How was he suppose to say no?"
"So it was you who seduced him?"
"I think we've earned the credit for that equally."
"You really do like Ed."
I nod, "He's a wonderful man."
"And Oliver?"
I shrug. With Oliver everything is easy and complicated at the same time. I couldn't have gone to a trip with him as I did with Ed. He would see it as a waste of money, as a betrayal to other, less fortunate, people. He will never understand the world that I live in. "I don't know Oliver well enough to be able to categorise him in any way."
My sister closes her MacBook Pro and leans back. "Hm... interesting." She gives me the kind of smirk that shows me her mind is overanalysing my words.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No, spill."
"It's just Ed's a wonderful man after spending even less than three days with him but Oliver is indescribable although you've been sleeping with him for what, a week straight now?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"You should know Oliver better than Edward, that's what I'm saying."
I do and that's why it's so hard for me to describe Oliver. Because he's so much more than just kind, proud, protective, loyal and caring - wonderful doesn't even do him justice.
Yet I've never fought more with a man than him.
It's frustrating to say the least.
"Well, as I said I can't put Oliver into some boxes or throw attributes that would describe him the best."
"Well, then how about this: Who's the better lover? Edward or Oliver?"
I shake my head. "I don't compare these two men. It would be unfair to both. They're just so different."
"Because one is wealthy and the other one is not."
She has no idea what a struggle money means to Oliver. She never will, although she would be probably the best person to understand him since Ana grew up in poverty as well... in an orphanages 200 kilometres away from Saint Petersburg.
I can't thank my parents enough for bringing her home to us.
"No, because they are very different."
"Really?" Ana leans forward and rests her chin on her bent elbow. "How so?"
I growl, "They just are. I can't explain it. They talk differently, they walk differently, they touch me differently-"
"And they fuck you differently."
"Yes that, too." Although, I fucked Edward more than he fucked me. I sat on top after the first round because I couldn't handle looking at his face and feel that knot in my stomach. The knot wasn't there when I rode his cock, so I stuck to that.
Edward called me fierce.
He doesn't even know what he's talking about.
"You can't have both men." Ana repeats herself.
I roll my eyes at her, "Again, I don't have either. Oliver is only bound to me for another 15 weeks and Edward isn't bound to me either."
"But both men don't know about each other."
"I told Edward that I was seeing someone."
Ana's bright green eyes widen, "You did?"
"Yes."
"Because you felt guilty."
I growl, "No, I didn't. It came up and I wanted him to know that I was seeing someone else. He somehow knew about the NDAs. Guessed it and I confirmed his thoughts."
"How did Ed react?"
"Said we should enjoy this weekend and revisit the situation in 15 weeks. He said we would meet again at Nate's wedding, Ascot and Trooping the Colour."
Ana's almond shaped eyes widen, "He's willing to wait for you?"
I shrug, "I guess."
"And do you want that? Do you want him?"
I lick my lips, "I want him when I'm with him."
"And right now?"
"Right now, I'm focused on getting home."
"Jo, that's not answer."
I sigh and wave with my hands. "What do you want to hear from me, Ana? I am not in love with Edward. And I am not in love with Oliver. I enjoyed the time with Ed as much as I enjoy my time with Oliver. Both men are worthy of my time."
"You can't be in this triangle forever."
"It's not a triangle! The next weeks will be Oliver and me."
"Except for the times when you know you will meet Ed in public places. Like Nate's wedding, Royal Ascot and Trooping The Colour." She narrows her eyes at me. "It seems like a triangle to me."
"It's not. Edward is very much aware of Oliver."
"And Oliver?"
"He will be as well."
Her eyes widen in surprise, "You'll tell him?"
I nod. I have to. I promised him honesty, not faithfulness.
Oliver
The doors of the lift open with a quite ping and I can hear Josephine's light footsteps walking down the hallway. I quickly turn around and look at the square walnut table. I've lit up two candles and made pasta verde - an Italian classic no one can decline. I even opened up a bottle of white wine from the Bolton vineyards from 2001. I don't have the slightest knowledge about wine but I think it should be good. Anything with the name Bolton is outstanding. I hope she's hungry.
I know I am starving for a good conversation.
I turn back around just in the same moment as her heels stop tapping against the hardwood floor. My eyes meet hers and I feel my heart exploding with gratitude in my chest. She came back... she came home to me.
Before I can take another breath, she has already sealed her wonderful lips over mine. Oh, how much I missed these full and soft lips! Our tongues quickly start dancing their beloved rumba as my hands travel up her spine. She arches her back as she presses her upper body against mine. A quite moan escapes her throat. The sound echoing in my cock that hardens immediately.
Her nails dig into my ass as she pushes me further into her.
She missed me.
And I missed her.
Who needs air when you've got Josephine Bolton?
This is the best way to welcome her home. We enjoy each other's mouths and bodies as if we were separated for weeks when it only has been three days and two nights. My fingers cherish the curve of her back, the round ass, the strong thighs of her legs... my cock is hard in record time.
After minutes, she lets go first.
"I made dinner." I breathe into her face.
She kisses my swollen lips again before grabbing my left hand. Without a word, she leads me through the living area. I expect her to walk into her bedroom, but to my surprise she stops at her black piano from Bechstein. It's glossy and sleek.
She lets go of my hand and sits down on the piano stool with a straight back. Josephine looks stunning in her black leggings and loose grey sweater. She kicks off her black stilettos and hovers her fingers for a moment over the black and white keys. After taking a deep breath, she suddenly starts playing.
She said she would never play for me.
Paris was definitely good for us.
Josephine
I play the first song that comes to my mind: Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No.1. I remember how my Daddy played this song as a lullaby to me when I was still little. It always lulled me to sleep and gave me the best dreams. The song makes me feel safe and sound, loved... it gives me a kind of peace I've only ever felt with Oliver again.
So maybe that's why I'm playing it now.
I don't know what I feel for Oliver or Edward. It's very confusing but this song... I hope this song shows Oliver how sorry I am. I don't regret what I did with Ed but I am sorry for the pain it will bring to Oliver when he finds out - and he will find out. Because I will tell him.
Because we promised each other honesty.
I finish the song and flawlessly transition into Pure Imagination from the movie Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka is Elias' favourite movie. He loves chocolate so Willy Wonka easily made it as his favourite movie.
Oliver
She's amazing! I don't know why she doesn't play the piano more often. The way her fingers glide over the keynotes, the way she makes music that goes straight to my heart... she's so talented. Josephine starts playing the theme song from Beauty And The Beast. The music starts filling up her whole penthouse. It's incredible.
She's incredible.
I have goosebumps all over my skin.
"You are amazing!" I say after minutes of listening to her playing. I could listen to her all day and night.
She stops abruptly and looks at me. Her sky blue eyes are filled with a kind of emotion I've never seen before: she's immensely sorry.
All the muscles in my body stiffen at her gaze. What the hell happened in Paris?! "Josephine,"
"I slept with someone else." She interrupts me.
I can feel how all of my blood leaves my face and collects in my feet to run off. She... She fucked another man while she was in Paris?! She was gone for two bloody nights and three days! How the hell- I pinch the bridge of my nose and inhale deeply. "Okay." I can hear myself saying.
She frowns, "Okay?"
"Yes, okay." I repeat myself.
"Do you want to know his name?"
"No. I just hope you guys used protection." I didn't expect to have this conversation with her. While I was missing her, she was fucking another man!
"Of course we did."
I don't know if that should make me feel better. This information is like a wrecking ball coming out of nowhere. It hit me so hard that I can't breathe for a moment.
She raises from the piano stool, "I'm sorry if this is causing you pain right now but we've agreed to be honest towards each other so I figured I should tell you."
She doesn't even regret it. Why would she? In her eyes, she did nothing wrong. She doesn't view what we have as something special. Because she doesn't know it is special yet. She thinks I am like every other man before me.
It was a slip up. Josephine doesn't know how to deal with the feelings she has for me so she did the next best thing she could: fuck the first man who showed interest in her. It didn't mean anything. It couldn't have.
She loves me.
She just hasn't realised it yet.
Sex doesn't mean anything for her. She doesn't know what it's like to make love. Because she doesn't allow herself to open up to me yet. But she will. She hasn't let down her guard yet but I'm working on it. Josephine's like an onion, I have to peel off layer by layer to get to the soft core. One layer was peeled off a day before she left for Paris but now it seems like she put on a hundred more. Confessing her betrayal was a huge step for her and no matter how much it pains me, it's a vital step in her development, in her journey to open up towards me.
I just need time to ease her into all of this.
And I have fifteen weeks left.
"If you want to end the agreement and leave, I will understand."
What did she just say? I frown at her words. "Josephine, I don't want to end this." I tell her slowly. "But instead I want to modify it."
Her bright blue eyes widen, "You want to add more weeks?"
More time is not something I should get out of this. She's feeling guilty - without knowing it yet. I can see it in her eyes. "No."
Confusion fills her eyes, "Then what do you want?"
You. I want all of you. The good, the bad... this pain and the bliss... I love this woman. But I can't tell her that. Not now.
She'd end this if she knew.
"I want you to stay exclusive from now on." I tell her instead. "It's just you and me for the next 15 weeks. Don't kiss anyone else. Do not fuck with any one else."
She sighs, "I told you I'm no girlfriend potential. I don't even know where cheating starts but I'm pretty sure I betrayed your trust with my action."
I grab her hands, "Flirting is okay. That's where I draw the line with you. Because I know to some extent flirting is part of your everyday life."
"How much flirting is okay?"
I let go of her hands and brush through her hair. It's different than from the last time I saw her. It's much curlier and wilder than the soft waves she had when she left. She always blow dries her hair but I think this is her natural hair structure. I want more of that.
More of this raw Josephine.
Because that's the woman I fell in love with.
The words sit on the tip of my tongue but I force myself to gulp them down. "None would be best." I whisper into her sky blue eyes.
"Okay. I'll try to stick to that."
She doesn't make any promises. She never did.
Because it would break her heart if she broke her word to me.
"Promise me something." I beg her.
She frowns and her sky blue eyes fill with worry and even a bit of fear. "I don't make promises, Oliver."
I lick my lips and lean forward until my forehead is touching hers. The sparks, that filled my body from every touching point we've had so far, only intensify. It's a warm sensation that makes my heart explode in my chest. How can she not allow herself to feel this? I know she feels it, too. I just want her to give us a chance. A real one.
"Yes." She whispers while looking into my eyes.
I didn't even say a word. "Yes what?"
"I will give this a chance. Whatever this is. For the next 15 weeks it will be just you and I. No fucking with other men. No flirting. Just you and I."
She understood me without a word. I'm not imagining this. She can feel this too. She just doesn't want to give into it yet. But at least for the next 15 weeks she will try.
"How about we don't drive to Dover the next weekend and just stay in?"
"Stay in?" She asks me surprised.
"Yes. Stay here in your penthouse. We can stay in pyjamas the whole day, watch your favourite movies, talk about everything under the sun and cook together. Charlotte said you bake granola every Sunday. It's suppose to be very good."
Josephine
"That sounds like a really good plan." I say with a small smile on my lips. I couldn't go horseback riding with Oliver now anyway. It would remind me too much of France - and Edward. "And you don't want out of the agreement?" I ask him again because I know I hurt him. I saw it in his eyes.
But he shakes his head. "You've made a mistake but you apologised in your own unique way."
But I'm not sorry for what I did. I am only sorry for his pain. "Oliver, I really am sorry for causing you pain. I want you to know that. But I am not sorry for what I did. I don't regret doing what I did with who I did it. Simply because I am used to this sort of lifestyle. I've never been with someone for longer than a night."
"Never?" He asks me surprised.
That's all what worries him?! I just told him I don't regret fucking Edward Rothschild and all he thinks of is how I've never been in a relationship?! "Not after I got burned." I lick my lips. I'd rather not think back of that time in my life. It was very unpleasant but it made me who I am.
He nods as if he understood me not wanting to talk about it. "I'm glad you're being honest with me."
"It's what we promised each other. We promised honesty, not faithfulness."
He runs his hands up my arms, giving me goosebumps again. "Promise me faithfulness."
I was hoping he wouldn't ask for that. "I... I can't do that." I would break that promise, I know I would. If not at Nate's wedding then at Royal Ascot or Trooping The Colour.
He sighs before cupping my face. "Just you and I."
How is he hiding his pain so well? "Oliver,"
"I'm not mad at you for what you did."
I wasn't afraid of his anger. I didn't even expect him to get angry. "I still can't promise you faithfulness."
"Is it so much to ask?"
I sigh and close my eyes. "I will see him again." I explain after opening my eyes.
I can see the realisation hitting him in his pine green eyes. "He's... he's just as rich as you."
I don't care about money. "Actually, his family is a bit richer than mine but I don't care about that."
"There are actually people who are richer than you?"
"Not a lot but yeah... a few."
Suddenly, he lets go of my arms and takes a step back. The mental slap feels like a stab with a knife in my heart. "So, you guys met in Paris... you flirted with him and then fucked him - all knowing you would probably see him again?!" He hisses at me.
It was a bit different but he doesn't have to know that. "More or less."
"Did he at least sign an NDA so he would shut the hell up?!"
No... no, he didn't. Because I was too dazzled by his aura that I forgot everything around me. "He won't say a word."
He shakes his head, "You are unbelievable! You've had me sign an NDA that forbids me basically anything that has something to do with you but you won't do the same for the stranger you fucked in Paris!" He suddenly explodes.
There's the pain I saw in his eyes earlier. "He's no stranger. His family and mine know each other but we've never met before. And then we met at a party and... one thing lead to another. You know the drill."
"No, actually I don't, Josephine!" He yells at me so loudly that I wince. "Because I don't betray the people I-" he stops talking suddenly and brushes through his short beach blonde hair.
"The people you what?" I ask him.
He shakes his head before letting out a growl that actually scares me. "I don't betray the people I care about. I protect them with everything I have, Josephine."
I frown at his words. "You care about me?"
He shrugs, "Obviously. I find you deeply fascinating. Not because of the million pound penthouse that you live in but because of the honourable person that you are. You care about people. You are a philanthropist and that's the sexiest characteristic there is. I am attracted to you not because of your looks but because of your brain." He explains.
Oh my Gosh! He feels the same way about me as I feel about Edward!
"You are incredibly smart which is why I am so disappointed to find out you let me sign the NDA - when I would never ever say a word to anyone - but not him. That was very reckless of you." He sighs, "And this is not like you. The Josephine I've come to know is not reckless. She always thinks ahead. She uses her brain like no one else."
I can feel how my throat tightens, "Oliver,"
"Contact him. Tell him to shut the fuck up." He demands of me.
I lick my lips and gulp down my emotions. "He's aware of the situation. I told him I was seeing someone else."
"And you still slept with him?!"
I shrug, "I can't explain myself, so please don't try to find any sense in all of this. Frankly, I can't find any sense in my actions as well."
Oliver buries his fingers in his scalp, "Josephine,"
"Oliver, I care about you as well. So much that I am deeply sorry for causing you pain. I-"
"You-" He pinches the bridge of his nose and inhales deeply. Then he looks at me in a way that not only allows me to see his pain but actually almost makes me feel it. "I need... I can't deal with you right now." He thinks out loud before turning on his heel.
He's leaving me. "Oliver,"
He shakes his head before walking down the hallway that leads to the lift.
A cold, scary feeling fills my body. I rush after him, "Oliver, wait!"
"I am not leaving you." He hisses at me and stops at the staircase that leads to the first floor and the rooftop. "But I can't sleep in the same bed as you tonight. I'm going to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms upstairs."
"You're not leaving me?" I ask him surprised as he walks up the wooden staircase.
"No." He says before turning around. "I said I won't leave you and I meant it. I stick to my word. A man is only worth as much as his word - that's something my father taught me."
His father... of course he wouldn't put dirt on the grave of his father. I gulp and walk up a few steps until we're on eye level. "It's why I can't promise you faithfulness. It's not something I know."
"Well, you can at least try."
"I wasn't really trying in France." I admit. "But I can try... and maybe it's easier than I think."
"Okay." He says before turning on his heel again.
I grab his left hand and feel a jolt of electricity running through my whole body. It's so much stronger than with Edward. "I really am sorry."
"I know." He says before eyeing my hand.
I let go because I feel like he wants me to.
He turns around and walks up the staircase without a word.
Oliver
I walked into the first guest bedroom that I found. Of course it's equally as beautiful as the rest of Josephine's penthouse but for the first time, I don't care. I don't care about the beige walls, the huge king sized bed with pastel blue bedding that I'm laying on or the stunning view over London through the glass facade across me.
She didn't just fuck the first stranger that flirted with her.
She fucked a family friend. Someone she knew she would see again. Someone her family, her parents have met and like.
This was way more than just sex! She didn't say it and she didn't had to. I saw it in her eyes, in her body language and in the carefully selected words that left her mouth. She has never directly answered my questions.
She has developed some kind of emotional bond with him.
Why the hell didn't I just go with her?! Why was I so fucking afraid of the possibility of getting caught?!
I growl and turn to the side in the bed. The last hours have been filled with thinking. I can't even bother to try to fall asleep. I won't sleep tonight - I know it. Because this is not the bed that my body has become used to. And I'm not sharing it with Josephine.
The woman who fucked someone else the second she met him.
Bloody hell, I thought she would give us a real chance!
Josephine
At least, he didn't leave me. At least, he is still in the penthouse. I kept my distance, giving him the space that he asked for. I knew this would upset him, but I didn't expect him to get so mad. I roll over in my bed and stare at the empty side of the bed next to me. I prefer Oliver next to me. I even prefer him over Ed right now.
I've been tossing and turning around in the bed for the whole night. I let out a growl before climbing out of the bed. There's no way I will find any sleep tonight anyway.
I walk out of my bedroom and down the hallway until I'm in the open living area. The lights turn on wherever I go because of the sensor. It's usually pretty convenient but not in the middle of the night. I clap into my hands two times to switch off the lights.
I prefer the darkness.
I stop across the glass facade that shows me the Elizabethan Tower next to the parliament to my right and the St. Paul's Cathedral to my left. The buildings are illuminated. The Tower Bridge is glittering in turquoise and white. It's so pretty.
I love London at night. It used to be my most productive time of the day. I used to work right here, sitting on my sofa and doing emails or whatever else was on my agenda.
But then Oliver happened and my favourite spot in the whole penthouse became my bed. Sleeping next to him was suddenly more important than working the night through.
But now I've hurt him by sleeping with Ed.
I brush through my long chestnut curls.
Why did I do that?
Oliver
I wake up the next morning with a tight feeling around and in my chest, as if someone is squeezing me. I open my eyes and look down my body. Someone is actually squeezing me. Josephine's lean arms are wrapped around my torso and she's holding on tight.
I didn't even remember her coming to the room. I guess, I really did fall asleep at some point during the night.
She came to me in the middle of the night. She's even spooning with me. That's the closest she's ever been with me in bed - after having sex. She usually sticks to her side of the bed.
And now she's spooning on my side of the bed. It's like she chased me and is now holding on to me as close as possible. She's taking a protective stance over me. She's afraid of me leaving her.
No wonder, my cock is hard already. My body recognised hers in my sleep.
I carefully open her arms and turn around until I face her. She's still sleeping peacefully but her arms wrap around me again as if nothing happened. The grip is even tighter than before.
I stare at the little heart shaped birthmark underneath her left lower eyelashes and the tiny star shaped birthmark on her right temple. Her face is absolutely flawless except for those two birthmarks. There are no freckles or pimples. Not even blackheads on her perfect nose. Her skin texture is smooth. Her eyebrows are perfectly groomed and her deep brown eyelashes are long and curved. She has high cheekbones. The cupid's bow above her full lips is lovely.
God, I love this woman.
I will never leave her.
Never.
No matter how much she hurts me.
I brush through her chestnut hair that feels like silk running through my fingers. She's the most beautiful woman on earth. She has the purest soul.
She's just hiding it underneath lots of layers and different masks. She betrayed me because she didn't know any better. She has never been in a relationship - or even a 16 week long agreement. She's used to one-night stands.
Josephine Bolton has to learn how listen to her heart and reinterpret it's signs. Clearly, she's not interpreting it correctly right now. But I'm up for the challenge. I am up for guiding her and making her see that loving me won't make her weak, it will make her stronger.
And when she sees that... that's when I can tell her I love her.
Suddenly, Josephine stirs and wakes up from her deep sleep. Her eyelids flutter before she reveals her stunning sky blue eyes.
The world stands still for the time when we stare into each other's eyes.
The hairs on my body stand up, my heart starts skipping every second beat and my cock pulses in need. The need to kiss her overcomes me.
But I hold back.
Because she needs to see her mistake.
"You didn't leave me."
Why is she so afraid of me leaving her? "How could I when you're holding on to me so tightly?" I ask her with a smirk on my lips.
She lets go of me immediately. As if I was a hot cooktop.
Shit, that's not what I wanted, so I do the first things that comes to my mind. I kiss her. I didn't expect our first kiss when she comes back from Paris to be like this. But my body is on fire nevertheless. She returns my kiss and our tongues start dancing the same rumba they stopped before she went to Paris. The fireworks explode within me - and I know she feels it, too.
She feels it, too.
I roll Josephine on her back as her hands run up my back. I can feel her nails slicing through the cotton of my light grey shirt as a moan escapes her lips. But suddenly, she pulls away. "I'm on my period."
Just my luck. She fucked a family friend in Paris and now she's bleeding him out. It's like her body is cleaning off the dirt. "I forgive you." I whisper.
"I didn't ask for forgiveness."
That's the woman I love. I smile at her. "I give it to you anyway. But no more fucking around, okay?"
She returns my smile, "Okay." She says before kissing me quickly. "And since we can't have sex right now, the least we can do is make out and cuddle until we have to get ready for work."
Cuddle. She never wanted to cuddle before.
Maybe her slip-up has taught her something after all.
It brought her to me in the middle of the night.
Josephine
I like him more than I realised. I mean, I couldn't sleep without him in my own bed! Oliver has gotten under my skin in a way that should actually scare me but to my surprise it doesn't. I like Oliver. I like him a lot.
And I'm so grateful he didn't leave me.
I brush through my chestnut waves with my fingers as I take on last look into the mirror. I've put on a light grey sweater with a pair of skinny jeans and black stilettos. I'm official ready for another week of work. But to my surprise, I am more excited about the weekend rather than the workdays.
Because I know I will be spending my weekend with Oliver. Alone. In my penthouse.
This sounds way better than Provence.
Plus, I don't think I could enjoy horseback riding with Oliver after riding through the Provence with Edward. I'd be comparing both men and that would be unfair to both.
"I found your jewellery room by the way."
I turn around at Oliver's voice. He's leaning against the island in my walk-in wardrobe. I like him in dark slacks, leather shoes and that white Oxford shirt. He has rolled up the sleeves and left the first two buttons open. He looks good. "I'm impressed. It took Flor months to find it."
"I was looking for your photographs."
"Well, I can assure you those are well hidden. Better than the jewellery room."
"In one of the seven safes you have in this penthouse?" He asks me back.
"Maybe."
"Will you ever show them to me?"
"Maybe." I answer with a smirk on my lips.
"What do I have to do to see them?"
"Cook dinner for me."
"Oh, like I did last night?"
"That doesn't count. We fought. I didn't even tasted it before I put it into the fridge."
"What's your favourite meal?"
"Anything breakfast related."
His eyes widen, "Breakfast?"
I nod, "When I was little, we all used to sit around our kitchen island and have breakfast together. My parents, my siblings and me. All seven of us."
"Seven?"
"Yeah that was before Eli, Cal and Gideon were born. Before Nate, Rory and I went to Le Rosey. We had breakfast every morning together as a family until Della and Ana moved into the Kensington House... after that it was just the five of us. Every morning we sat at that kitchen island until we were 14." I trail off with a smile on my lips. Those were my favourite mornings. Until Daddy left us for nearly two years. That's when we all freaked out. Rory dropped her big dream, Nate started hitting on his class mates and I... I shiver at the memory. I don't like thinking about this part of my life. It was my darkest time by far.
"What did you had for breakfast?"
"All sorts of food. During the week it was usually porridge. On weekends we had baked blueberry pancakes or Crêpes with coconut cream. We always made our own smoothies and juices. There were always bowls filled with fresh fruit on the kitchen island."
"And why don't you have breakfast nowadays?"
I shrug, "Maybe because I'm no longer surrounded by my family." I think out loud. "The last time
I had breakfast with my siblings was when we were all still studying in Oxford."
"Perhaps you should make up for it on the weekend."
"But we're spending the weekend together."
"I'm working on Saturday morning, so you can very much drive to your sister or brother and surprise them with a breakfast." He suggests. "I think your siblings would appreciate it."
"I don't think Della and Ana will have time. And my parents are in Switzerland for the weekend for work."
"That's the good thing about having a big family. There's always a shoulder to lean on."
I chuckle, "I guess that's true. But I'm going to see my sister in two weeks anyway. I'm throwing Rory a baby shower in the Cotswolds. So-"
"But you miss them."
I lick my lips. I really do. "I'll wait until my little brothers are home in their summer holidays."
Oliver tilts his head slightly to the left, "Josephine,"
I don't know what this look from him means but I know he doesn't share my opinion. "I'll wait. It's not the right time." I decide.
"Okay." He runs his fingers through my long chestnut waves. "It's alright to put yourself first every once in a while."
"Do you know me? I always put myself first. You've signed an NDA for my very selfish pleasure."
"You're not selfish." Oliver says before placing his hands on my hips. "You're the most selfless woman I've ever met. You care about everyone and put yourself last. You help out at a soup kitchen, you help out in a religious kindergarten that's even your belief, you help out at a school for deaf people... And you donate not only from your bank account but mostly from your heart. You are not selfish. You are the most altruistic person I know, Josephine."
That's the best compliment he could have given me. It gives me a warm feeling in my chest that makes me kiss him. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me for saying the truth. We promised each other honesty, didn't we?"
I nod. "We did." It's why I told him about Ed.
"And that's why I'm actually glad you told me about the man you fucked in Paris."
It was more than once and it wasn't in Paris, but I decide to not tell him that. "I don't feel guilty."
"Of course you don't." He thinks out loud, "But it means you value what we have enough to tell me the truth."
"I do."
He shows me a kind of smile that makes my heart stop beating for a moment.
I have no idea what that means.
Oliver
We're making progress. It's slow but it's steady and that's what counts. She won't open up to me overnight and I never expected that. But I didn't expect her to fuck another guy in Paris as well.
But this is what she knows. It's what she's always done. She has never been committed to someone. So, this is new for her as well. I should give her the benefit of the doubt.
But I will not tolerate another betrayal like that.
The next man she fucks that isn't me, won't see the next sunrise. She's mine. Just like I am hers. Josephine just doesn't see that yet. But she will. After this weekend she will...
I take one last look in the café, scanning all the clean tables, the counter with the empty trays and baskets. I've checked every closed window three times and made sure the back door has been locked for four times. This is the first time Luigi has given me the responsibility to close the café after working hours have ended. I switch off the lights in the café and lock the front door three times. It's already past eleven in the night and I can definitely feel the long hours, I've worked running around the café today, in my legs but these keys are worth it. Having this key in my hands means a lot to me. Luigi's trust is not something I will take for granted.
"You look like you could need a lift."
I turn around at Josephine's voice. She's leaning against her silver Aston Martin. It's a stunning vehicle that could buy so many people so much food. Some people buy flats or whole houses for the price of an Aston Martin. But clearly Josephine doesn't see it that way. For her it's a toy to play with. One of many.
One of five actually.
Josephine looks bloody hot, especially in the way she leans against her car. She's wearing her signature navy baseball cap with her hometown London embroidered on it in white, skinny light washed jeans, a grey cashmere sweater and white sneakers. She has obviously changed since the last time I saw her. Josephine's chestnut waves are open. Her hair is so long that it nearly reaches her hips. She looks stunning.
Just like the woman when we first met.
"Depends. Where are we driving to?"
She pushes herself away from the Aston Martin and walks over to me. "Home."
Home. This single word gives me a feeling like no other. It makes me grin like an idiot and my heart skip several heartbeats. I place my hands on her hips, well aware that we're in public. "Then I'm in."
To my surprise she doesn't slap my hands away. Instead she intertwines her fingers behind my neck and tilts her head back slightly so I can look into those brilliant sky blue eyes. "I would have driven you anywhere you want."
How can she say something like and not feel the same way as me? "Home sounds just fine."
Josephine
I fold back the blanket before climbing into my bed next to Oliver. It feels weird to lay in here, knowing we won't have sex... but after last night, having here next to me means more than I can put into words.
I look to my left and stare at the man in my bed, who is reading Gatsby by Fitzgerald. He got this first copy out of my library after I told him it's one of my favourite books. He didn't ask why I like this book so much. Instead, he decided to read it.
I can't believe he has never read Gatsby!
I watch him reading in silence for a few minutes. His pine green eyes move from left to right before his hands flip the page. He is already halfway through it. He is a fast reader.
"I can feel your eyes on me."
Perhaps I should have gotten a book out of my library as well. "Is it good?"
"So far so good."
"Are you planning on finishing it tonight?"
He flips the page, "Why? Would you rather talk?"
I let the question linger in the air for a moment. Perhaps, I would. I'm not sleepy yet and since I'm not the kind of woman who enjoys having sex while suffering from period cramps, I should fill this time window with something else. It used to be work before Oliver. I've never had this issue before because there hasn't ever been a man in my bed before. I had my one-night stands during the days I was not ovulating and not on my period, so the chances of getting pregnant were almost zero while using condoms as well. I basically worked through the other nights. I worked myself to sleep. I've never been in bed before ten. I usually fell asleep over my MacBook in the living room and wake up in the middle of the night with a stiff neck and totter to my bedroom.
I've never had an actual bedtime routine - something Rory has preached me to start doing for years now. But I never felt the need to.
However, I enjoy this even more.
Perhaps staring at a reading Oliver will become part of my bedtime routine.
Oliver looks up from the book. "Do you want to talk?"
"No." I decide and shake my head. "I'll watch you if you don't mind."
"I don't and you already know that. We've cleared this topic." To my surprise he grabs my left hand and squeezes it softly as he continues reading the book.
He forgave me for a mistake I didn't know I made. He is still in my bed, by my side... he still wants to be in this arrangement. Not despite what I did but because of it.
I was right. Wonderful doesn't even describe Oliver properly.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!
What do you think of Oliver's reaction to Jo's confession? What will happen during their weekend together?
Will Oliver confess his feelings for Jo?
Please review!
In gratitude,
Nicole