The weeks blurred together, and I lost track of where Olivia Sheridan began and where Dominic’s Olivia ended.Many changes had come upon me, and despite my fear of change, I liked how they made me feel. I had more confidence at work and in my personal life, and with Dominic constantly around me, I felt more beautiful and sexier. But those weren’t the only changes. I changed my work schedule and started working on Thursdays and Fridays only. It gave me more time to enjoy life and spend more time with Dominic and Kat.Every time Dominic stayed the night, I had a nightmare-free sleep, so I made sure to always have him by my side when I went to bed. We split half the week at my house and the other at his. It was nice, and we found a rhythm that worked without overwhelming me. I was ready to try this, short of it sounding like a relationship. I wasn’t looking for one since I didn’t believe I could be a good girlfriend, but I could do this friends-with-benefits thing without overthinking eve
Saturday arrived in the blink of an eye, and I was happy not to have any other incidents like the one at Terra. It left me thinking, though. Usually, my panic attacks were mild, and I could somewhat control them, but when I was with Kat at the store, it came on fast and shook me to my core. It was unlike anything I had had in the past. I would need to be more careful in the future so it wouldn’t happen again when people could see me.I was getting out of breath, so I lowered the intensity on the treadmill. I had gotten up early and worked out my frustrations before starting the day. I was lucky the gym was open twenty-four hours, or else I wouldn’t have been able to go at five in the morning.I was still slightly angry at myself for what had happened with Kat, and I wanted to be mentally and physically exhausted for the rest of my upcoming day. I figured that if I was too tired to think, I wouldn’t trigger anything that would create something.The day before, I promised Kat I would get
I found my table in the dining room and saw Kat sitting on one of the eight available chairs. I took the one beside hers and quickly stopped the server, who passed me with a tray of champagne flutes. I took two, downed the first one, and cradled the second one with my left hand.Kat’s eyes became small slits as she studied me and became concerned. “What’s happening with you? You look weird.”“I had a fucking epiphany, and I think I’m going to be sick,” I mumbled and took big gulps out of the second flute.Nate arrived at our reserved table shortly after with a beautifully dressed woman clinging to his arm. She looked similar to Kat, with a tall, slender shape and loose blond hair cascading down her back. I couldn’t say if she was beautiful since she hid her face behind a black mask, but she had the air of someone who knew she was pretty.I hated her immediately, and I couldn’t imagine what Kat was thinking. I thought I could finish the night without getting hammered, but with everythin
I cursed the size of my dress. It was too big to move around the cramped reception room floor, and I couldn’t run to catch Kat, who was drunkenly swaying her body between the ocean of dancers.She thought running away from me was funny, and her drunken giggle echoing in the crowd was testimony.Tears stung my eyes since I walked away from Nate, and my inability to catch my roommate in this nightmare of an evening had me throw an imaginary white flag on the ground.I surrendered.Dominic had sold himself to some rich woman for a day. Nate thought I was no different than all the other women Dominic had dated, and I thought my perfectly secured and solid walls were crashing down all over me.I had lost control.After five minutes of grunting and swearing, I finally put a hand on Kat and pulled her close to me. “I’m sorry, Kat, but the fun’s over for us. We’re leaving before you puke your guts out.” And before I start to cry.“But I don’t want to,” she wailed and let her whole body become
After a very difficult and ugly wake-up with a hangover, Kat finally felt well enough to leave the house and bring back the dresses to Terra with me.It was Christmas day, and I was surprised when Nadia called us and said we could pass by the store. I thought she would be closed like all the other stores today.We were welcomed into the shop with open arms, and the designer wanted to know everything that happened during the Christmas Ball event. Nadia even pulled out a newly printed magazine with Dominic and me on the cover, and she squealed as she saw her name as the creator of the gorgeous dress I had worn.“Everyone is talking about you, Liv! And I’ve received dozens of calls for dress contracts since last night. You were quite the showstopper,” Nadia said with excitement.Kat and Nadia talked while I turned the magazine pages and read what they said about Dominic and me. Apparently, thanks to the mask I wore, they had no clue who the mysterious date was, and everyone speculated abo
I pressed the paper packages I had against my chest and followed Kat inside the elevator to reach Dominic’s floor.My heart was racing, and I wondered if it was a mistake to bring Dominic a gift when I didn’t know if the clock was one. Nadia and Kat had been sure it was a Christmas present, but I wasn’t as confident as them.I had also gotten a few things for Kat and Nate, but nothing compared to the heavy wooden item I had in one of my gifts.I hadn’t done Christmas in years, and it frightened me. I tried to stay calm to prevent any unwanted panic attacks, but when I looked at my fitness watch, I was already out of breath, and my pulse was at a constant 130 BPM. This evening would drain all the energy out of my system.When Lena and Chuck were living with me, we usually ordered Chinese takeout food and sat in the living room watching movies to pass the time. It had always been like any other day, but Christmas seemed a big deal for Kat and her family, and I missed my usual simple Chri
It was getting late, and the pub was growing quiet. It must have had something to do with the harsh winter weather, which was hammering the city hard these days. Tonight wasn’t different, and I thought perhaps it was worse than during the day.I had taken on a few extra shifts to help at the pub and also work through the fact that none of my interviews for positions as a curator yielded any results. I hadn’t received one single phone call or email, letting me know I was accepted, or at the very least, considered after the very few interviews I had. It was radio silence.I looked over at Jody and Wanda, who had cleaned their tables three times to keep themselves busy, and I wondered how long it would take them to decide to pass the mop on the floors—something we only did after closing.I checked the bar to see if my customers needed anything else. When I noticed their heads down, looking at the drinks they cradled in their hands, I figured there wasn’t much to do but wait and clean the
Dominic pushed open the door to his home with his back. His front was busy with my lips while his fingers hurriedly worked on removing my winter jacket.We toppled inside the apartment and hit a table stand but paid it no mind as we created our little sex bubble.Dominic flung my coat onto the ground and lifted me into his muscular arms. His beard stubbles rubbed my cheeks as my head moved left to the right, kissing him passionately and biting his lips.He dropped me on his bed and quickly discarded his shoes and jacket. My pussy was already wet with excitement, and the few seconds our bodies didn’t connect made me whimper. I had grown to love the sparks which danced over my skin each time Dominic touched me. I craved him almost as much as I craved the air in my lungs.He returned to me, settled himself on either side of my body, and stroked his growing erection over my black skinny jeans.We were under a puddle of blue moonlight, which enhanced his features. His jawline was more defin
One year laterIt was my last night at Crowns, the pub where I had worked for the past five years. As I walked in, the place was buzzing with clients, most of whom I recognized as regulars. It was a relief to see fewer drunken visitors since the tourist season had ended, but it also meant fewer tips since the summer was the peak of our year.I made my way to the back of the bar, where my colleagues Luke and Martin were training my replacement and playfully throwing dishcloths at each other for something funny that was said. Joining in on the banter, I laughed at their silly antics.As the night went on, I felt sentimental about leaving Crowns. It had been my home away from home for so long, and I had made so many memories there. But I was also excited about my new job as a conservator at the museum, where I would specialize in the conservation of pieces from the 1800s to 1900s era. The items I would care for and conserve consisted mostly of home appliances, decorations, and furniture,
I arrived at the restaurant earlier than agreed upon and asked the server to sit in the bar section while I waited for the person I was meeting to show up. I had chosen this place purposefully so my guests wouldn’t cause a scene—not that I thought they would make one, but just in case.The restaurant was a chic place downtown, and I had dressed for the occasion, flaunting a beautiful smoky-grey cocktail dress with tulle sticking out from the bottom. It was one of Nadia’s designs, and I had paired it with a flat black shoe. The dress was shoulderless, so I brought a shawl to keep my back and my arms warm because whenever I was nervous, my hands became blocks of ice.Earlier in the week, I had a scheduled appointment at the hospital. During the appointment, the medical team replaced my thick and heavy plaster casts with new, removable plastic moulded ones with Velcro straps. The new casts were a welcome relief, as they were less bulky and more comfortable, allowing me to move around with
Lena helped me bring my stuff back to my room. Afterward, she called Chuck to ask if he could come over and back us up. Chuck was over six feet tall and shaped like a football player. He was a big softy, all mush and gooey on the inside and would never hurt anyone, but Richard didn’t need to know that. My stepfather wouldn’t dare try anything if I had him with me.The next thing on my list was finding out where Richard was staying. We would have the upper hand if I could find him before he saw me—at least, that was what I thought. After that, I simply needed to find my old phone to retrieve important things from it.“Okay,” called Lena from the hallway. “Chuck is on his way as soon as he gets off work tonight. It’s an hour-long flight, so he’ll get here around eight-ish. Did you call McHottie to tell him we’re back in town?”I winced and started chewing the inside of my cheek. When Lena walked inside my bedroom and saw me wriggling with anxiety, she huffed and crossed her arms disappro
Dominic POV“You understand that what I’m doing right now could cost me my license to practice, right?”I nodded to Patrick, and he continued pulling out the information I had requested.Patrick McKamey was responsible for everything legal in my life and business. My father had done business with the lawyer before his passing, and since Patrick had been a long-time family friend and ally, I continued using his services after the torch was passed down to me.I called Patrick a few days ago, requesting he get as much information as possible on Olivia’s mother’s last Will and Testament. It wasn’t easy, especially since it wasn’t at the request of Olivia herself, but Patrick made a few phone calls to some of his acquaintances in North America. After a few days of digging, he called me when he received the crucial information I was waiting for.“I promise I’ll deny your involvement if anything happens, Patrick. Besides, I’m not planning on using any of this outside of these four walls. You
Lena gently shook me. I groaned and stretched my body over the sofa before staring at her. She wore a knit sweater and had done her hair in a high ponytail. The cottage-look suited her well, I thought.When she saw I was up, she smiled and offered to make us breakfast.I beamed at her suggestion, feeling my stomach rumble, and slowly righted myself in a sitting position.After I ended my call with Dominic, I retreated close to the fire and fell asleep. The warmth of the flames heated my blanket and lulled me into a comfortable slumber. I felt much more rested and ready to tackle another day of killing time.Nate was supposed to return today but couldn’t stay the entire weekend. He was coming over with a few supplies, clean clothes, and hopefully, new board games. Lena and I had already played with everything we had and were tired of doing the 2000-piece puzzle of a boring fruit basket.I heard the clatter of dishes and moved away from the sofa, ambling into the kitchen to help her. Len
Warm hands glided over my stomach and pulled me back into warmer skin.I purred in delight, wiggling my bottom over Dominic’s erection digging into my lower back. I could recognize those hands anywhere, even with my eyes closed. They were soft, with a touch of callus inside his palms from lifting weights when he went to the gym. His unmistakable smell of aftershave also lingered on his skin, even after a full day of work. That smell was intoxicating to me.Dominic slipped a hand between my thighs and pressed a finger on my clit, rubbing it in circles and making me hot with desire. He hadn’t touched me in such a long time that I thought I would come undone by him simply applying a little more pressure.“Do you like it when I do this to you?” Dominic mumbled in my ear before sucking my earlobe and kissing and licking my neck.Panting, I arched my back and opened my legs wider for him to gain better access. “Always…”My fingers grabbed the sheets and bunched them in my fists while Dominic
I sulked in the front seat of Nate’s rented car. We were on the road to Portlet—wherever that was.Nate had appeared in Dominic’s apartment unannounced and in a hurry. He urged me to follow him and led me to a parked car waiting outside. Once inside the car, he refused to disclose our destination, despite my repeated pleas to know where we were headed. We drove northward on the highway, passing several small villages along the way.Had I not known Nate before or who he was best friends with, I would have been afraid of being kidnapped.After maybe two hours and a half of driving, Nate turned onto a straight and narrow road. A small sign told us we were being welcomed to Portlet, and I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the place we were headed to, but all I could see were snow-covered farming fields stretching as far as the eye could see. We were close to the coast, and I could smell the salt in the air.I had heard that people who lived near the coast rarely suffered from run
Dominic POVI stepped outside, and the frigid wind caught me off guard, sending shivers down my spine. The gusts were so strong that my coat flapped wildly, and I had to tug at the end to keep it close to my body. However, the chilly air felt invigorating, and I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the crisp scent of winter. I looked up at the overcast sky, watching the low clouds move swiftly and the trees lining the entrance of my building swaying back and forth. Despite the cold, I welcomed the refreshing sensation that the weather brought, hoping it would clear my troubled mind and offer me some clarity.As I settled into the back seat of a cab, I found myself lost in thought, replaying my last conversation with Olivia. I knew she was going through a tough time, and I wanted to be there for her. Olivia had been hurt before, and I didn’t want to add to her pain. Yet, I couldn’t resist the way she looked at me with her big, vulnerable eyes. It was as if she was silently pleading
As I sat on the hospital bed, I gazed at the sparse belongings I had with me, all neatly packed and ready to go by the door. I had been waiting for Kat to return from her X-rays and medical tests so that I could see her one last time before I left.Dominic, who had been sitting beside me, remained silent after his mother surprised us with her visit. Her revelation left me anxious about the situation. I wondered how Mrs. Moore had managed to locate Richard or vice-versa. The thought made little sense to me, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had to find a way to change my mind when I became short of breath from my racing heart.Despite the awkwardness that filled the air, when Kat returned to our room, she tried to make small talk with us. However, Dominic and I remained quiet for the most part and only answered with idle single words.Dr. Fraser was concerned about my health after taking my blood pressure, which was alarmingly high. I, however, was determined to leave the hospita