*Vivienne*The car finally came to a stop in front of my apartment building and I quickly took a scan of the environment. Nothing much had changed. The building still looked the same. My neighborhood wasn't Beverly hills nor Malibu but it was mostly crime free… Well, not until I was ran into a week ago.“This is where you live?” Liam asked, there was no hint of disgust in his voice, just genuine curiosity.“Yup,” I replied, popping the ‘P’ at the end. “This is me.”“I have never been to this side of the county. It looks… different,” he commented, his eyes dancing from one structure to the other.I scoffed out a laugh. “From Beverly hills and the rest? Yes I know. Not everyone can afford Beverly Hills or Malibu.”He turned to look at me, his eyes gleaming. “I didn't mean that in a condescending way,” he clarified, his voice steady. “I have been to places worse than this. I run a foundation, remember?”I broke eye contact with him and focused it instead on the building outside. Being
*Vivienne*The silence in the car was killing me but I still pressed my lips shut and continued to look out the window as we sped past gigantic buildings.“Are you okay?” Liam asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.“Hmm,” I murmured, and finished it off with a tiny nod.“Should we drop by at the hospital?” he continued.I scoffed. “Why would I need to drop by at the hospital?” I countered. “It's not like I was attacked or even worst, ran over by another car.”“Your arm,” he responded. “You threw it around my neck like it wasn't injured. We should go and check it up at the hospital.”I looked down at the said arm. I'd almost forgotten about the sling. “I'm fine. My arm is fine too. The pain has reduced considerably so I'm even thinking about taking it off tomorrow.”For some minutes, no response came from Liam. I was tempted to at least glance at him but I gritted my teeth and fixated my gaze out the window.“Are you not going to look at me?” he muttered. “It's kind of weir
*Liam*“You drove by yourself!” Ryder exclaimed the moment I stepped out of my car and slammed the door shut.I arched a brow at him. “Yes, I drove.”Ryder pressed his lips into a firm hard line, his displeasure evident with the way he aggressively pushed his glasses up his nose. “I thought we agreed on laying off driving for the meantime?”I shook my head adamantly. “I did not agree to such a thing,” I said and slapped the roof of my Aston Martin. “I love driving and it's like I'm going to collapse behind the wheel. Man! Give me some credits, I'm already taking my medications without fail.”Ryder gave me a long resigned look. “Why does it always seem like I'm the only one worried about you?” he sighed.I chuckled and patted his shoulder. “You are my manager, of course you should worry about me,” I intoned. Ryder shook my hands off his shoulder and glared at me. “Com'on, Julian is already waiting for us,” he murmured and began to walk into the massive building in front of us.I exhal
*Vivienne*The house is deathly quiet and all that could be heard was the sound of Mr. Gibbons' feet shuffling across the house. Was this where Liam has been living? He must have been lonely. Wait… catching myself right on time, I reared back. “Whoa, whoa, why am I worried about him right now?” I muttered under my breath. Shaking my head, I stood up from where I had remained seated ever since I came into this room and wandered towards the bed.The bed was huge and inviting. It was drowned in silk sheets in the richest hues of cream and burgundy. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I finally gave in to my urges and dove on the bed. For a moment, I just laid there, luxuriating in the heavenly texture of silk against my skin. But then, the sudden knock that landed on the door had me bolting to my feet. I cleared my throat and waited for the person to enter but no one came in. I blinked in confusion but then remembered that I actually had to allow the person in. I cleared my throat
*Vivienne*I was literally drowning in a material that felt luxurious and comfortable.But what jerked me awake from my peaceful sleep was the feeling of a strange, damp sensation on my cheek. Reflexively, I reached out a hand, expecting to encounter a pillow or perhaps a stray lock of my own hair. Instead, my fingertips met a wet, cold nose that was far too close for comfort.My eyes flew open, and I jolted upright, my heart pounding as a high pitched scream escaped my lips. Looming over me, mere inches from my face, was the large, furry head of a golden retriever. The dog's warm, amber eyes were fixed intently on me, its tongue lolling out in an almost playful expression. "Gah!" I exclaimed, recoiling in shock. "What on earth—?" The sudden movement startled the dog, causing it to let out a surprised bark. I scrambled backwards, tangling myself in the bedsheets as I tried to put some distance between us. Where did this canine intruder come from? And how had it ended up so brazenl
*Vivienne*Few hours later, I am dressed in a form fitting ankle length maxi dress with floral patterns which has a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt. I slipped on low heels to complete the look, grabbed my bag and was soon on my way outside. Mr. Gibbons intercepted me while I was still on the stairs. “Good morning, Ms. Reynolds,” he greeted with a slight bow. “Good morning, Mr. Gibbons,” I responded. “And please call me, Vivienne. Ms. Reynolds makes me feel like an old maid.”He smiled and nodded. “I whipped up something in the kitchen in case you're hungry.”I darted a quick glance over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. “I am really sorry but I'm already running late for my doctor's appointment,” I said apologetically. His face fell and I instantly felt guilty. “Oh, no problem, Ms. Reynolds,” he muttered with a low voice. “Have you offered some to Mr. Pryce? I think he is around,” I offered. Mr. Gibbons gave me an unreadable look and shook his head. “Mr. Pryce is a
*Liam*“That's all for today, I guess,” I said as I slid into the backseat and looked at Ryder who was already seated and waiting for me.“Yes,” Ryder confirmed as he ticked off the schedule on his iPad. We just exited the venue for the last table read for Love unscripted. I glanced at the script placed on the hand rest in between us and picked it up. I ghosted my fingers over the intricately written title on the front page— Love unscripted.I dropped it back and interlocked my fingers instead. “When is the shooting commencing?”“Next week,” Ryder answered. “Thankfully, you don't have any serious foundation related work next week.”“And the locations?” I continued. “Has the final locations been decided on?”“Yes. We are going to be shuffling between New York, Chicago and some few other locations.”I nodded. “That's okay. Get the pilot to ready the private jet in preparation. The ‘Harvest Hope’ program is starting after next week, so I can't afford to slack off at any moment,” I utte
*Vivienne*He kissed me.Liam Ryan Pryce just and I don't just know how to react. My eyes are wide in shock while my arms hang limply by my sides. I could only watch as he cradled my cheeks and pressed his lips against mine, his brows puckered in concentration. The kiss was so soft and tender, but it still ignited something that made me feel like my head was gonna explode.I was still trying to process everything when I felt him pulling away… no, no, no! Not yet. Not after weeks of fantasizing about kissing him. In one swift desperate move, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him in closer, our bodies merging from the waist down. He went rigid for a second, his lips slightly disengaging from mine and then I felt him smile against my mouth before he kissed me again. I slowly closed my eyes and just savored the feeling of his lips against mine, the sizzle of lust pooling in my lower belly and rendering me useless. His lips are softer than anything I've ever known, soft like