Chapter 21

The last thing Liv remembered opening her eyes was his comforting, warm body against hers. She could feel him, not quite sure where the weight of him was yet, but he was there, she was sure of it.

Per usual, has been the case since they've met, blinking lights filled the room. She heard the monitor, the quiet breathing of Noelle coming through it, and Liv closed her eyes one more time. Suddenly, it hit her, all the love making, the reality of what Randolph did, and the way Fitz hugged her so tightly after he shared the news.

Both her hands went down now, and she felt him, his hands on either one of her hips, his head resting, facing left on her stomach. Liv felt his hair. Those gorgeous thick curls that she could feel and touch for hours. Her body was still naked, love making, before and after her shower. God, Liv never came so much before tonight. Fitzgerald Grant held the record for making her orgasm, and it was a record he would never lose, she was his forever.

Without lifting her hands from his hair, she lifted her four fingers on her left hand, making sure tonight wasn't all a dream. Now, she gently rubbed his curls once more remembering the proposal, the shakiness in his voice and it had her now blinking back her own tears looking at the sparkling diamond ring on her finger.

Looking around now, still rummaging his curls, she saw the blinking lights. She took a deep soft breath. Liv was going to miss the season of Christmas, but she was a part of them now, so it didn't have to be just about the season. Now, and in the future, it will be about sharing everything together, as a family.

"Dear God, woman, you are so turning me on rubbing your hands in my hair like that." Fitz's voice startled her a bit, and he began to ascend on her body, using only his lips.

Just like that, her body was filled with goosebumps. He kissed just above her belly button, his hand inadvertently squeezing her left breast as he went between her chest and stomach with his lips, then between her breasts, and stopped. Her hands never leaving his hair, almost guiding him to her right breast.

The feeling of weakness hit immediately when his soft lips cupped her nipple, then he bit slightly down on it, causing Liv's body to jerk and let out a small moan. His mouth now went wider, and he engulfed the breast while licking the nipple now, slowly, and Liv could almost feel the moisture he was causing to run down her legs.

"Fuck, Fitz." Her quiet thoughts about the season coming to an end a distant memory now as all she could think about was this dream of a man causing her body to sweat and release heat, heat she didn't think she had left in her.

All the while his mouth was on her right breast, his hand never left her left breast, and Liv's legs were asking for mercy as she bent them around his lower body.

"I don't know how much I can take, Fitz. You've exhausted me tonight." Now her hands were rubbing up and down his smooth muscular back as he worked his lips up her neck. She arched her head back just a little and felt him move slightly to her right, just above her ear.

"Mind if I feel what I'm doing to you? You can feel what you're doing to me." He whispered in her ear, all breath, and she just about lost all control of her body. Her head shot back up, just as his lips lined up with hers and she crashed into his.

All during the kiss, he pulled her hand gently, placing it on his rock-hard cock, and she felt him let her hand go as his fingers now circled the juices he caused with all his kissing. It took all of 3 minutes for him to do all of this.

His lips pushed down, and breathing deeply into the kiss while Liv was stroking the erection he so easily got, she felt him enter two fingers into her. Her body weakened under him, and she moaned, trying desperately to hold on to the kiss, but couldn't.

"You're so fucking wet, in such a short amount of time. You going to come for me Livvie?" He lifted his hips up so she could stroke faster. "I'm going to come for you, but let's make it an even exchange."

Now it was his turn to moan, and as his fingers thrusted in and out of her, Liv lost any control she was trying to hold on to. Her one free hand gripped his curls, pulling them with the jolt of orgasm hitting her body.

She didn't mean to let up on the stroking, but she did, and he knelt up, taking over. She watched him, her hand on his chest and it took but a minute and he shot all on her chest. "God, that was fucking hot," Liv whispered, her body going up and down with deep breaths, as Fitz was back with a warm, wet cloth going over her body to clean the mess he made.

Liv's body curled, her knees to her chest. She was extremely weak with that last orgasm, not even anticipating having another one for a few hours when he woke up kissing her. The way her body reacted to him even surprised her at times.

She felt him get into the bed and she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, placed her legs, still curled up, on top of stomach, as they were chest to chest. Liv buried her head in the crook of his neck, and he rested his face on her shoulder as he gripped her close to his body, rubbing her gorgeous smooth ass cheek.

Fitz felt her shiver a bit and he used his one hand to grab the blanket, never taking his other arm from around her, and covered both their bodies with the blanket. When Liv felt the warmth of the blanket, she sank down a bit and her head now rested on his chest. He sat up now as she turned her head and he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head gently.

"Rest now my Livvie. Tomorrow will be spent on the yacht all day before we head to our surprise." Fitz put his chin now on her head, just letting her sleep, which she was doing so peacefully now.

It was 415 a.m. It wasn't anything new for Fitz to be awake, but he thought about the events from the passed night. Randolph gone, Jenkings a complete douche, the shock in Marcus's voice, and Fitz took a deep breath, strategizing how to win at this fucking game. Jenkings fucked with the wrong guy.

He calmed his body down. He thought of the light show, the glow in his daughter's eyes when he told her the question to ask Liv, the shakiness in his voice holding back his own emotions when he asked her, and the pure joy when she said yes, without any hesitation.

"I will love you forever Livvie." And with that whisper, Liv turned her head once more, wrapped her arm around his waist as he pulled his body down to the pillow. Although he was always up by this time, his body too had hit exhaustion from what Liv did to him as well.

If this was the engagement night, the wedding night was going to be smoking. Fitz smiled now as he fell asleep with his Livvie buried deep in his arms. Soon he would hear her, the voice of Noelle ready to begin a brand-new day in a brand new way as a family.

"Daddy, I up!" Noelle's little voice came through as the boat cruised on in the ocean. "Daddy, Ovivia." Then Noelle's voice paused. She couldn't leave the room; the gate was up. That meant daddy was still sleeping, and she had to wait in her room.

She tried one more time. "Daddy. I up." She pulled UNI from her bed, hugging it, letting it comfort her while she waited for her daddy. Then she looked at Jilly and she had an idea. "Mommy? I up."

Liv nudged Fitz, not moving from his embrace. "Noelle is up." Fitz sat up quickly, causing Liv to moan a bit and putting the blanket over her head.

"Here Livvie, put this on." Liv took his Grant Enterprises shirt and her shorts he threw them to her as he was just about to leave the room. He was about to tell her he was on his way when they heard it.

"Mommy? I up." Fitz looked at Liv who had a worried look on her face. "Liv, it's ok she knows we're going to be a family.

"I know, but she needs to understand she does have a real mother, I don't want to take that from her. "

Fitz nodded. "I'm on my way Noelle." He picked her up way over his head and gave her a spin. "Good morning my favorite Princess, you slept long and well, didn't you?"

Noelle giggled as he brought her back down, still clutching UNI. "Uh-huh", she nodded her little head. "Ovivia stay over?"

"Yes, silly I stayed over, we are on the boat on vacation, remember.?" Liv was sitting up in the bed now smiling at her favorite blue eyed girl.

"Boat day today?"

"All day." Fitz answered plopping Noelle down between himself and Liv. He poked her nose. "You haven't gone around the boat yet to see everything. So today we are going to." He whispered something in her ear.

Her mouth went open and she turned to him "Really?"

Then he whispered something else, and UNI fell from her hands because it surprised her so much.

Liv snatched up the little unicorn and said "come on UNI they aren't being nice to us. They are telling secrets, and not including us. Let's go eat some magic pancakes." Liv pretended to get out of bed with the unicorn.

"No, no, Ovivia. Bowl. Daddy said bowl on a boat."

Fitz put his forehead on his hand. "Noelle, how did you keep the secret of me asking Liv to marry me and you can't keep a secret I said two seconds ago?"

"UNI." Noelle said, as if Liv was going to keep UNI hostage.

Liv's laughter filled the room and she looked at Fitz. "Now I know how to get all of your secrets out of Noelle." She gave UNI back as Noelle gave it a big hug and looked down at Liv's ring.

The tip of her little finger gave a pat to the diamond. "Sparkle." Noelle said. Her blue curious eyes looked at Liv, Fitz giving his daughter a little kiss on her head.

"That's the ring remember?" Fitz asked his daughter.

"Marry daddy." Noelle shook her head remembering.

"Yes, Noelle, I'm going to marry daddy."

"Family?" She asked.

"The best family." Fitz corrected. "Let's get you dressed. First, we'll go to the pool up on the roof of the boat, want to swim after breakfast?"

"Oh, yes." Noelle said excitedly. "Belle suit?"

"Sure," Fitz agreed. He went to take Noelle's hand, but she hesitated.

"Mommy yet?" Her eyebrows furrowed down in curiosity looking at Liv.

Liv's hand went down Noelle's smooth tiny cheek. She put some of her soft hair behind her ear. "Noelle remember when we talked about mommy. You know you have a real mommy, right?"

"Uncle Jay sister, a star in the sky." Noelle said.

"Right sweetheart. So, you can call me mommy here and I promise I will take care of you like a mommy would, but always remember your real mommy loves you too."

Noelle wrapped her arms around Liv's neck and gave her a tight hug. "I love you Ovivia mommy."

Liv looked at Fitz who had a soft smile on his lips as he rubbed Noelle's back. "Ok, let's get the fun started."

Liv got out of bed, never letting Noelle go and walked her back to the room. She turned to Fitz in the doorway. "You get ready, I'll dress her."

The sun was shining as the yacht began to cruise a bit slower now indicating they would be docking in a little while. The pool was gorgeous, blue, clear and refreshing and Liv was driving Fitz crazy with the bathing suit she chose to wear.

"You leaving this on all day and night until bedtime?" He went to her as she applied sunscreen to Noelle's back, and Fitz whispered the words in her ear.

"Don't you wish Mister?"

"I used up all my wishes already hoping you said yes, so you have to cut me some slack." Fitz kissed her cheek and when Noelle was all lathered up in her sunscreen Fitz lifted her and brought her into the pool slowly walking around in the water with her.

The pool was behind the hot tub Liv and Fitz had utilized their first night in the Bahamas. Liv thought about the stories they both shared about the moon. Liv caught a chill reminiscing about it, the moonlight, the red and green lights in the hot tub, and most of all what his fingers did to her.

Her eyes were covered behind the sunglasses, so they couldn't see her in the daydream. Liv heard his words again that night when he called Noelle "our little girl."

Thinking back to the conversation this morning she hoped she didn't scare Noelle in any way. Liv wanted so much to be called Mommy, but she wanted Noelle to never forget the memories Fitz would give her of Jacqui.

As if Noelle was reading Liv's thoughts her tiny squeaky voice got her out of the daydream. "Mommy, watch out!"

Before Liv could move, a soaking wet Fitz had her cradled in his arms. He used his mouth to toss the sunglasses off her and he walked into the pool while Liv kicked her feet a bit trying to get out of the hold, but it was useless.

For the next few hours, it was just them, the three of them in the pool, swimming, kicking, playing water games, and having genuine carefree fun. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. At one point, Fitz pulled Noelle to him, lifting her and she just rested her head on his shoulder, yawning.

"I tired daddy."

Fitz carried her out, putting a big towel around her and dried her off almost completely. He wrapped her up in a hooded robe and lounged her on the shady chair a few feet from the pool. Before he even put her down, she was sleeping, exhausted from all the pool time fun they had, and recharging for the rest of the day.

Fitz licked his lips, biting his lower one and hopped back in the pool with Liv who was standing against the wall at the shallow end, the end closest to Noelle. Without hesitation, Fitz wrapped his arms around her placing his lips gently onto hers.

"You have nerve wearing a bikini like this on a family yacht, Ms. Pope."

She licked her lips after his kiss, just to taste him, and tease him a bit. "I knew what it would do to you. I guess I didn't disappoint, but you too have nerve." Her hand reached down his swim trunks. "What is this that you have in a family pool on a family yacht?" Her eyebrows went up in curiosity as she kept her hand on his expanding erection.

"Oh, no you don't. That's there BECAUSE of your bikini." His hands now were on both her ass cheeks as he moved the slight portion the bikini was covering and began to take off the bottoms.

"Fitz", she warned. "What if?"

"She's exhausted. We have at least a half hour." His lips went to her neck, and he pulled her, wrapping her legs around him as he moved to the middle of the pool.

Liv's hands, soaking from the water, again made their way to his hair, making his curls dripping wet, as her mouth opened wider, and they kissed long and hard in the middle of the pool.

His dick came out of his trunks, and holding Liv under her ass, he walked now, back to the wall, from the middle to the edge, a little farther from Noelle. Liv had no strength in her to swim, so she hoped he wouldn't let go.

Just the opposite. As soon as her back hit the edge, her legs stayed wrapped around him, and he thrusted his body up, fully inside her and Liv's head went back, her face taking in all the heat of the sun above.

"My God, Livvie, I can do this all day." He grunted, thrusting harder into her. She usually pulls his curls, but this time her hands were around his back, and she didn't mean to grind her nails into him, but she did.

His face went into her wet chest, and with one more big thrust, Liv felt the now familiar stiffness he'd been doing to her body as she came wrapped around him in the pool. "Just. One. More." Fitz said through his grinded teeth, and he held her in place, coming in her. Then they stood in the water just like that for a moment before he walked her back to the shallow end.

They were sitting now, under the shade, Noelle still sleeping, and they were holding hands in separate chairs just facing the ocean.

"Where is the boat going to dock?" Liv asked, looking at Fitz, noticing his skin turning bronze from the sun. She didn't know how she was going to make it through another night of pure love making. He just looked too good to pass up, though.

His sunglass covered eyes looked at her as his gorgeous smile came across his lips. "Three days after Christmas and you're still asking about Christmas surprises? No chance, Livvie."

Her hand went down his cheek. "Was I wrong with what I said to Noelle this morning.?"

Fitz shrugged. 'I don't think so. I'm going to keep Jacqui's memory alive so it's good not to confuse her. But I'm loving how quickly she took to calling you mommy. You ok with it?"

Her head went back to facing the ocean. Her heart was bursting inside. "I'm fine with it." She turned back to him. "You ok after all that with Randolph?"

"I'll be ok, I think. I guess I still haven't processed it yet." He didn't say anything, but a chill went over his body when she asked. It just got too personal, and he wanted to share it with her, but now wasn't the time.

"You know, I can't believe it's still December," he said looking up at the blue sky. "It's not right sitting poolside in December."

Liv chuckled. "Mister cold weather only in December guy."

He took her hand. "Do me a favor?" He rubbed her hand looking at her seriously.

"Anything Fitz, what is it?"

"Mr. Walters was willing to give you two months to get settled in, right?"

"Right." She said.

"Will he give you another week off?" Fitz pleaded with his eyes, taking off his sunglasses.

"Like next week, after New Year's Day?"

Fitz shrugged, "Yeah."

Last year Liv would have said no outright, not a chance she wouldn't go back to work. Hell, she never took a day off in three years and she knew Mr. Walters wouldn't hesitate to give her another week. She thought for a few seconds.

"I'm sure he wouldn't say no, what's up? No Christmas surprise stuff either, I would like to know what you have planned."

Fitz took a deep breath, a bit defeated. "Sore winner," he pouted. "I spent these days in this warm, yucky weather in December. How about a week at the Inn upstate? We can take in the town, you can get to know the people, and we can do cold weather stuff."

Liv smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Fitz repeated.

Noelle got up from her sleeping position and looked around. She slowly got up and went right to Liv, laying belly down on Liv's chest. Liv kissed her head and asked. "Hey Noelle, you want to go to the Inn when we finish this vacation?"

Noelle picked her head up, blinked her tired eyes and looked at Fitz. "By Fanny and Meggy?"

"That's them," Fitz smiled.

"We go?" She looked at Olivia. "You come?"

"You bet!"

"Tiffany?" Noelle looked at Fitz.

"Tiffany still has no school, let her enjoy her time off."

"Ok daddy." Her head went back down to Liv's chest. Without picking it up, she asked "we bowl now?"

"Let's eat some lunch, get changed, and then mommy and da.." Liv stopped realizing what she was saying.

"Then mommy and daddy will go bowling with you." Fitz finished.

"Bowling? On a yacht?" Liv questioned Fitz.

Fitz held up two fingers. "Only two lanes, but fun anyway." He smiled as they walked back inside.

The bowling area was towards the middle of the boat, opposite the bedrooms. Fitz was right, only two lanes, but the cutest tiniest lanes Liv ever saw.

"This is more like mini bowling" Liv smiled as she picked up medium sized bowling balls.

"Oh, pink please." Noelle saw the neon colors of the ball and she couldn't wait to get hers.

"Watch this." Fitz flicked a switch, and the alley lanes took a glow. The light by the pins showed their colors and there were five red and five green pins set up on both lanes.

One more button Fitz pushed, and some instrumental holiday music came on. "Christmas bowling." Fitz smiled picking up a neon green bowling ball. The colors were now glowing in the dark and Noelle couldn't contain her excitement.

"Cool!" She put the ball down at the front of the lane and pushed it, watching it go slowly down the alley. The alley was equipped with bumpers, so no gutter, and the ball seemed to take an hour to reach the pins. "Daddy, look" Noelle clapped.

"Wow, you knocked down four pins. Next time, give it a big push."

Noelle saw her ball come back, glowing as it made it's way back up to the rack. "Pretty."

Liv was sitting next to Fitz watching all this happen. Between the lights and Christmas music giving Fitz unsolicited joy and Noelle with the glow and knocking down of pins giving her happiness, Liv didn't even know what to say.

Noelle rolled her ball one more time. Liv didn't get to see the outcome of her bowl because Fitz took her lips and devoured them with him cupping his hand on her face. "You look gorgeous."

"Fitz." Liv seemed almost embarrassed.

He shrugged. "What? The ball is going to take five minutes to reach the pins anyway, she isn't looking this way. Besides, she knows I love you; I can kiss you."

Liv didn't argue, and she put her lips back on his, rubbing his curls.

"I didn't knock down anymore." Noelle said and Liv pulled back watching as Noelle was walking towards them.

Fitz scooped her up. "It's ok, sunshine, you'll get better when you keep playing."

"They played for about two hours, stopping in intervals to dance to the Christmas music. They had some snacks brought to them from the staff, and when they had tired out from bowling, Noelle rubbed her two eyes and said "What next?"

Liv hadn't even realized the boat had stopped; she no longer heard the motor. "Did we stop?"

"Yes, we stopped. The boat will stay docked here overnight, and then tomorrow our last surprise for New Year's." He picked up Noelle. "Now, pajama time and we are going to watch all the movies you want." Fitz kept walking with Liv by his side.

They stopped at another room. "Ready for this?" Fitz swung the door open and inside was a gigantic movie screen at the front of a room with seating for about fifty people. "Surround sound", he said as if Noelle had a clue. "Want to build a snowman?"

"Frozen movie?" Noelle asked, walking into the room and hopping down on a seat.

"We need to have something cold around here." He pulled Liv into a hug. "Right?"

Liv smiled, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek. "What else does this thing have. I'm waiting for a shopping center with a food court to pop out of nowhere next."

"No such luck." He kissed her forehead. "Can you just get Noelle all ready, I'm sorry but I do have a phone call or two to make." His head went down. "The Randolph aftermath."

Liv looked at him concerned. "Yeah, you ok?"

He nodded. 'I will be, like I said, it's a dirty game Livvie." He looked over at Noelle who was just looking around. "Noelle, Liv will give you your bath then you can bring UNI and the baby dolls to watch the movie, ok."

"Daddy is boring, Noelle. We'll make popcorn together too." Liv said, taking Noelle's hand and guiding her out.

"Butter?" Noelle asked. As Fitz closed the door, he heard Liv say, "So much butter." He smiled and his smile faded as soon as his phone display lit up.

He rubbed his fingers across his forehead waiting for an answer. "Boris, everything taken care of?"

"Yes, I've notified Randolph's only living relative, a brother in Texas. He didn't seem to care too much, wanted nothing to do with it at all. I've taken care of the cremation, and the ashes will be sent to his offices in NY. His secretary is aware they will be arriving. Noble of you to do that for him, Fitz."

Fitz blew out his bottom lip. I'd been there he thought, the gun was to my head. I just didn't pull the trigger.

"Look, Boris, the property, I don't want to give up on it, but I don't want Jenkings making a fucking penny off of it. What are our options?"

He heard a long pause followed by a deep breath. "This is shaky territory, Fitz. Jenkings development is very popular in the Bahamas."

"Make it unpopular, what can be done? The prick let someone blow his brains out without a drop of remorse, I want him to pay."

Boris bit his bottom lip. Grant could destroy Jenkings with one tap of a button. Fitz was up and coming, almost at the top on Wall Street. He held stock, a shitload of stock in Jenkings development, Fitz could break him, and Boris knew how.

"There is a way, give me until tomorrow. We have a few hours before the stock market closes for the holiday. Be careful, though, Fitz."

"I'll be fine, I'm back in the states by New Year's Day anyhow, so just call me tomorrow. 1pm, NY time, I'll be expecting your call."

"Yes sir." Boris hung up. He had some work to do. Fitz was on a mission and from what was told to him before he became Fitz's lawyer, once Grant is on a mission there is no stopping him. Boris began his list of phone calls he would be making through the night. "Time to destroy Jenkings."

If Noelle sat more than ten minutes in her chair during the movie, that was a lot. Jilly and Kelly had their own seats next to Noelle and UNI clung to Noelle in her arms the whole time. Noelle thought it was great she could walk as close to the screen as she wanted.

When the songs broke out, Noelle used UNI as her dance partner and danced around singing the songs she knew by heart. Fitz and Liv sat together, feeding one another popcorn and watching Noelle tire herself out.

By the time the rolling credits came on, Noelle was on Liv's lap, sound asleep with her head on Liv's shoulder. Fitz stood up and grabbed his daughter so Liv could get up. Holding her high so her head could rest on his shoulder, he put his arm around Liv and headed towards the bed quarters.

Liv was finally able to look outside to see where they were docked. Noelle was sleeping soundly in her bed, Fitz joined Liv on the balcony looking out at the well lighted place in front of them. "Where are we?" Her head tilted and she was looking side to side.

"Sint Maarten." Fitz said as if it was any casual place.

"Seriously? Tell me you have a mansion here."

Fitz wrapped his arms around her from behind and gave her neck a small kiss. "No, just a place on a private beach. I rented it for a few nights. We head out right after the ball drops on New Year's Eve and we should be back in NY by New Year's Day, early evening."

Liv turned, snuggling her head into his chest. Her hand rubbed his bicep, and she looked up. "This whole time has been simply amazing Fitz, thank you so much."

He held up her ring finger and brought it to his lips. He gave it a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Livvie, because my life is complete." He kissed her softly on the lips. "Let's go lay in bed."

Fitz was quiet. It was out of character and Liv knew something was bothering him. "Fitz, what's wrong?" Her hand rubbing his back as his head rested on her chest.

He turned his body and was laying belly down now, his arm across her waist. He put his forehead on her shoulder and took a deep breath. He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "Livvie", he whispered. "Look at me."

She brought her body down. They were both belly down facing each other, and Liv saw sadness in his eyes. It was a look she had never really seen before, and it worried her. Her hand rubbed his cheek to his ear. "Fitz, what is it?"

"When my father died Liv, I was completely heartbroken. Only Jay knows how heartbroken I was. Jay talked me down from many things in my life, but the most important thing he talked me down from was pulling the trigger while I held a gun to my head." Fitz stopped talking, maybe even stopped breathing as he watched her take in the news.

Liv's body went completely numb, she felt it, and she felt dizzy with the numbness. She took a hard swallow, but no words could come out. Her eyes filled up and she blinked down, one teardrop from each eye. "Oh my God, Fitz," she was so choked up.

He caressed her hair, just looking at her, his eyes going from pure sadness to pure comfort. "It's ok, Liv, I've come to terms with it. I just felt if my father sold the store, took me up on my offer to retire, he would still be alive. He didn't. He was so stubborn." Fitz choked up. "I just made my first million, I had everything I wanted to have. But money couldn't save my father." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"He worked hard Fitz. He knew what it was like to have nothing." Liv said.

"But he never had to worry about that again. I think deep down he was afraid that it could happen again, and he stayed, and he worked himself to the bone, killing himself in the process. He never had time to enjoy life. He didn't have time to bowl on a yacht or watch a light show from a restaurant in the Caribbean. He didn't give himself that, and it was because of me." Fitz held a sob back.

Liv sat up and put her head on his back, rubbing his curls. "It wasn't because of you, how could say that?"

"He wanted me to have a better life. He worked hard so I would never have to live on the street again. He saved me, but I couldn't save him." This time he sobbed, and Liv hugged him the best she could.

"Come here." She sat up, and Fitz turned and sat up with her. Her arms went around him as she tried to hug the pain away. He was so successful. People everywhere looked up to him, he was powerful, rich, but he was human, and he had a hurting heart. "Did this thing with Randolph bring this all back?"

He shook his head. "That could have been me. I sat in a dark room in a penthouse in one of the nicest hotels in the city. It was about 40,000 dollars a night and I had this gun to my head, staring at the city lights."

"Jesus, Fitz."

"I couldn't, for some reason, I couldn't pull the trigger and I called Jay. He came right over, talked me out of it, stayed with me the rest of the day and the next night. We didn't sleep, we just talked, and it cleansed me in a way I couldn't explain. He and Jacqui lost their parents young; he was 12 by the time they were both gone."

"So he understood your pain."

"He did, then the next year we had that party where Jacqui and I..well….and I got away to Europe, where I broke a billion dollars. There was no looking back."

"Then, Noelle." Liv didn't have to say anything else.

"Then, Noelle, and my life was worth living." He looked at her now. His forehead went to hers. "And, now, you. I love you so much." He lifted her chin and kissed her. "I'll honor Randolph, he deserves it, because I was there, Livvie, his pain was for a different reason, but he was lost."

Liv laid back down on the bed, Fitz above her. "You a good person Fitz, and you are loved so much by that little girl in there. Not to mention you have my heart in knots," she smiled, pulling him down to her. "I love you so much Mr. Fitzgerald Grant."

He kissed her and stopped. He rubbed her cheek softly. "So, you know where we are, you know where we are staying, but you have no idea what the next two days hold for us. I can't wait."

"Neither can I" She rolled so she was on top. "Your tan from the sun is turning me on," she whispered in his ear. She kissed his chest, from neck down to stomach. She stopped and rested her head, making circles on his skin. "I'm so thankful for Jay, and thankful you didn't pull that trigger, I don't where I would be without you."

"That's something you don't have to worry about." He placed his arms around her body, and let her fall asleep, holding her on his chest. They had a busy day, and more to come. Fitz's eyes fell heavy, and for once they fell asleep without love making causing the exhaustion.