*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
*Vivienne*“Stay here,” I told Eric the moment we arrived at the spa. “You can go out or something, you don't really have to hang around.”Eric merely unbuckled his seatbelt and said, “After you, ma'am.”I sighed, already feeling exasperated this early morning. I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror and arched a brow at him. “Did you not hear anything that I just said?” I questioned him.He nodded curtly. “I did, ma'am,” he answered with a firm voice. “And my job is to protect you and that's what I'm going to do.”Feeling like I was already fighting a losing battle, I just rolled my eyes and got out of the car, all the while muttering something about stubborn bodyguards under my breath. But the moment I entered the building, I was brought up short by the sight of Tara, Penny and Nick huddled around the front desk talking in hushed tones. I wasn't bothered in any way by the sight since the spa won't open for another hour and I was already used to seeing them congregated and gossipi
*Liam*My mind has been all over the place for the past three days that I could barely manage to focus on anything. I sighed continuously for over an hour as I tried to focus on some paperwork from the foundation. Next, I tried reading a few lines from my current script but couldn't assimilate anything. Finally giving up, I decided to drop by one of our orphanages, maybe a smile from one of those little angels would help get me back on track. I notified Ryder and got there before him. One hour into my visit, I was already grinning from ear to ear as I reconnected with my little friends. However, that feeling was fleeting and every now and then, I remembered what day it was today. I sneaked a quick glance at my watch just as Ryder whispered into my ears, “We have to get going, Liam. It will only be a matter of time before this place is flooded with the paparazzi and reporters.” I have this unspoken rule about not letting any paparazzi take any photo of me while I was on any visit