“I have said all I needed to say.”
“I haven't!” The words came out with more force than I'd intended, but I wasn't sorry. She needed to know that I meant what I said. “And I'm not leaving until I do.”
The silence that followed told me that she apparently didn't believe me. It appeared I was going to have to prove it.
I pounded on the door this time. “I'm serious, Liv! I'll stand out here all night if I have to. I don't think your neighbors would like it very much.”
I heard the click of a lock and my pulse sped up. I took a step back so I wouldn't crowd her and waited for the door to open. The first thing that I noticed was that she'd left her hair down. The second was that she looked even more exhausted than I did. She stepped aside and made a motion for me to come into the apartment.
“Speak.” She stayed a few feet away, arms folded like she was protecting herself.
“I'm not leaving you,” I blurted out. Heat rose in my face, but I kept going. “And I'm not letting you leave me. I'm going to be here for you and help you through this. And not just because it's the right thing to do, but because I love you.”
Her expression tightened, shoulders hunching forward even more. She shook her head. “No, you love Katka.” Her eyes were filled with pain as they met mine. “And I do not think she is ever coming back.”
I felt a pang, but it wasn't like the pain before when I'd thought I'd lost her, because I knew she wasn't really gone. Not the way she was for Livie.
She continued, “The wall that kept our personalities apart, that kept me from knowing about her, it is breaking. Memories are coming through.” She hesitated, then added, “I believe we are integrating unintentionally. I had not made a decision about what I wanted to do, but it is happening.” Her voice softened. “I do not think she will ever come back.”
I closed the distance between us and she didn't back away. I looked down at her but she dropped her head. I reached out and hooked my finger under her chin, raising her head so she could see my face. “I need you to hear this, Livie, and see the truth.”
She nodded. “I am listening.”
“I didn't come here because I thought Katka would come back and I wanted to see her. I came here because I love you.” I cupped her face. “I'd been falling for you before I knew the truth. The things that had drawn me to her are in you. They are you.”
“Blayne,” she whispered.
I lowered my head and took her mouth, pouring everything I'd been feeling into that single kiss. For a brief moment, I thought she'd pull away, but she didn't. All at once, the tension went out of her and she was kissing me back. Her lips parted under mine, her tongue tentatively darting out. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she tilted her head, deepening the kiss.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing heavily and I could see the desire in her eyes. I wanted her, but I wasn't going to push her.
“I must confess something,” she said. One hand slid down my chest, coming to rest over my rapidly beating heart. “When I left that night, I was not entirely honest.”
I put my hands on her waist, afraid for a moment that she'd pull away.
“For some time, I had been fighting my own feelings.” Her fingers flexed on my chest and I saw the struggle for control on her face. “I had not wanted to admit it, but I knew that I was falling for you.”
“Liv,” I breathed as I ran my fingers through her curls. “I want this to work. I'll do whatever you need me to do.”
She dropped her hands to the hem of my shirt and gave it a tug. “I need you to make love to me.”
“Are you sure that's a good idea?” My body was reacting to the suggestion, to her nearness, but I was going to let her take the lead.
“Do you love me as me and not because you think I will be Katka?”
I nodded.
She took my hand. “Then will you make love to me?”
I smiled. “Take me to bed.”
I'd expected her to be like before, letting me take care of her, but as we entered her room, she pulled me to her and claimed my mouth with a familiar ferocity. There was a hint of desperation as her tongue delved between my lips. It tangled with mine as we scrambled out of our clothes, breaking the kiss only long enough to get rid of our shirts. She shivered as my hands caressed familiar curves, skin hot beneath my palms.
We tumbled back onto the bed and my hand slid between her legs, finding her already wet. She moaned into my mouth as my finger entered her. I ran my tongue down her throat and across her breasts. I took one hard nipple into my mouth, increasing suction until she cried out.
“More, please, Blayne.”
I glanced up at her, surprised. She nodded and I sucked harder, worrying at the sensitive flesh with my teeth even as my finger twisted inside her. Her back arched as she came, crying out my name. I dropped down between her legs before she'd finished coming and drove one orgasm into another, my mouth pulling at the little bundle of nerves until her hands clutched at my head, pulling me closer.
I made love to her with my mouth until she was begging me to stop and her body was a trembling mass of flesh. Only then did I slide back up her body and take her mouth even as I entered her. I swallowed her moans of pleasure as I took long, steady strokes, each one going as deep as I could, until I couldn't tell where my body ended and hers began. Her hips rose to meet mine, her hands clutching my ass.
I had made love to Katka and then to Livie, their responses and needs different from each other. Now, I had them together, tenderness and passion, love and desire. When I looked into Livie's eyes, I saw a whole person. She was battered, but not broken. She would heal. We would heal.
Her body shook beneath me and she gasped something in Czech that I recognized. Katka had told me what it meant.
“I love you too, Liv.” I pressed my lips against her ear as I spoke. A shudder ran through me as I came, emptying myself inside her. I held her close as pleasure flooded me. She was mine, no matter what the future held.
Chapter 10
Livie and Katka
We listened to the sound of his breathing, felt the steady thump of his heart against our back. Blayne's arms were wrapped around us, his body curled around ours. He was sleeping soundly, probably the first good sleep he'd had in a while. We knew that when we finally fell asleep, it would be like that for us too.
We didn't know what would happen when we woke up, if we would become I again, if we would become we forever. We knew that we both loved him, that we had both loved him for longer than we'd wanted to admit and we were okay with that. He loved us both and would stay with us no matter what.
It is okay, Katka whispered. I will always be here. And he loves you. Take care of him.
We slowly fell asleep in his arms, not knowing the future, but, for the first time, secure in the knowledge that we were not alone.
Chapter 11
Blayne
I hadn't been sure that asking Livie to move back into the penthouse so soon was a good idea, but I wanted her there. The place that had been my home for years felt empty without her. When I'd told her that, she'd agreed. I'd told her that I'd help her pack, but she'd declined, saying that she needed the time to say good-bye. I'd assured her that we'd take things as slow or fast as she wanted, that I'd never pressure her into something she wasn't ready for, that I hadn't expected her to move into my room. That had been when she'd kissed me and told me she was ready to come home. This was just something she'd needed to do on her own.
So, I went back to the penthouse to make us a nice Saturday morning brunch while she stayed to do whatever it was she needed to do. I'd just finished mixing up the pancakes and was getting ready to start on the bacon when someone knocked at the door. I wiped off my hands and headed over to the door. I'd forgotten to ask Livie if she still had her key.
But when I opened the door, it wasn't my wife.
It was my father.
“Dad.” The word was clipped.
“May I come in
?”
I considered telling him no, but I didn't. Instead, I stepped aside and let him enter. I'd be damned if I was going to offer him something to drink though.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I walked back into the kitchen. If he wanted to yell at me, he could damn well do it while I finished what I was doing.
“I came to tell you that I’m proud of you.”
I stopped mid-step and nearly stumbled. I turned to stare at him. I had to have misheard him. “Excuse me?”
“I'm proud of you for standing up to me, for thinking of someone first. I never thought I'd see it.”
I frowned at him, unsure if I should be pleased or insulted.
“You don't have to prove anything anymore,” he said, looking rather pleased with himself for the pronouncement. “You don't have to stay with her. I was telling the truth that I like her. I'll make sure she gets the best treatment possible. But she's not your responsibility. I'll void your contract. As long as you don't return to your previous ways, your inheritance is safe.”
I snorted a laugh. “You really weren't listening, were you? This isn't about my inheritance or an allowance. It's not about this place or any of this shit. It's about her. I love her. It's not an act.” I raked my hand through my hair. “And if having her means I'm no longer a part of the Westmore family, then so be it. I'll get a job. We'll make due. I'm not giving her up.”
I waited for the inevitable lecture about how family always came first, but instead, he smiled. “Impressive,” he said. “I really didn't think you had it in you.”
An image flashed in front of my eyes, a simple one really, but one that made me realize I didn't have to do this anymore. Eyes a deep, rich green, full of love...and belief. In me.
“You know, Dad, growing up, I just wanted you to be proud of me.” I shook my head. “But you made it pretty clear from a young age that I was just a disappointment. Now, I have someone who believes in me and I see that you're wrong. You've always been wrong. And I don't care anymore what you think of me.”
For the first time in my life, I saw shock on my father's face. “Blayne, I–”
I held up a hand. “I don't want to hear it. I'm waiting for my wife to come home so we can spend a pleasant weekend together. I think you should go now.”
He stared at me. “You want me to leave?”
“I do,” I said firmly. “And if you want to fix this, make us family again, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than saying you're impressed by me standing up for myself.”
He was silent for a moment, and then nodded. “I'll speak to you sometime this week. Perhaps we can discuss a time when you and Livie could come over for dinner.”
“Maybe,” I said.
I saw him to the door, wondering how sincere his sentiments were. It would've been nice to think that we could make things work. That Livie and I could be a part of a family that didn't think I was a loser. I shook my head as I walked back into the kitchen. It didn't matter what happened with my father. I had Samuel and Hannah and the kids. I had Livie. She was my family.
I'd just finished putting the final touches on the meal when Livie came in. I made her leave her things in the living room so we could eat before it got cold. We didn't really talk while we ate, but there was no need to. There was something between us, that nonverbal communication that two people sometimes had. Neither of us wanted to break it and so we left it to lingering looks and the occasional brush of fingers. By the time we were done, however, the tension had shifted to something thick and sexual.
I stood and held out my hand. “I don't know about you, but I think clean-up can wait. Right now, I'd like nothing more than to take a shower and then spend the rest of the day in bed with you.” I grew serious for a moment as I gave her the choice I'd promised. “But if you want to take things slow...”
She stood and pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it onto the floor. Her bra was plain white cotton but the sight of those magnificent breasts made me instantly and almost painfully hard.
“Shower, then bed,” she said as she slid her hand into mine.
I threaded my fingers between hers and the two of us headed for the bathroom. I was tempted, as I watched her undress, to take her right there, but I wanted to take things slow. As we stood under the spray together, I did just that. I washed her hair, enjoying lathering her in the scent of my body wash, knowing that she would smell like her and me. I'd never thought of myself as the kind of man who wanted to think of someone as his, but Livie definitely brought it out in me.
After we'd finished rinsing off, we took turns drying each other, lingering far longer than we had in the shower. By the time I wrapped my own towel around my waist, I knew I would have to spend some quality time making her come with my mouth and fingers before I could have sex, or I'd end up embarrassing myself.
Not that I minded in the least.
I looked down at her as she stretched out on the bed, opening her towel to bare herself to me. I wondered, again, how I'd gotten so lucky.
I reached down and traced her tattoo with my finger, my eyes flicking up to her face to see if it bothered her. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, but a small smile curved her lips. She put her hand over mine and squeezed. I understood what she was feeling without her having to say it. No matter how much or how little of Katka remained in her, it would always be the two of them.
I smiled at her as I settled between her legs. I'd meant what I'd said. I loved her, all of her. And I fully intended to show her just how much.
The first pass of my tongue made her shudder and I gripped her hips more tightly. Water from the shower still clung to a few fine hairs and I licked them off before dipping my tongue between her folds. She made a noise halfway between a whimper and a moan, and a surge of pride went through me. I loved that I could make her sound that way.
“Blayne,” she breathed my name as I began to tease her clit with my tongue.
When I took the sensitive flesh between my lips, she cried out, her legs coming up as I held her hips in place. Her hands buried themselves in my hair, pulling and pushing even as her first orgasm hit her. Her body quaked but I didn't let up, increasing the gentle suction to draw out her climax.
She said something in Czech that I took to be encouragement, and I continued to pleasure her. I wanted to feel her come apart, lose control. I'd made her come before and the orgasms had been genuine, I was sure of it, but I'd still sensed something holding back.
I raised my head as I felt her body start to tense again. “Let go, my Liv. I've got you.”
She tugged at my hair. “Please, moje láska.”
“How can I refuse?” I smiled and flicked my tongue against her clit before taking it between my lips. Two pulls of my mouth and her back arched, body shaking. She cried out my name and I could feel that last little bit of restraint cracking.
Even as she was still coming, I moved up her body. My cock was aching and I couldn't wait anymore. Her pussy was still spasming as I entered her with one swift stroke. She swore, her nails clawing at my back. Her body moved against mine, meeting me thrust for thrust, driving me deeper than before.
“Let go, my Liv,” I murmured against her mouth. I nipped at her bottom lip. “Give me all of you.”
I saw it in her eyes, watched as the last of the walls crumbled. Her climax hit her even as mine did, the force of it taking us both by surprise. I took her mouth, swallowing her cries even as she swallowed mine. I held her tightly to me, her legs wrapped around my waist, our bodies as intimately joined as two people could be. This, I knew, was what people meant by two people becoming one. She was my Kat and my Liv. Mine. And I was hers.
We stayed in bed for hours, sometimes just laughing and talking. Sometimes cuddling, then making love. There was no need to rush, no worrying about getting caught or anything urgent we needed to do.
I didn't know what time it was when we were both finally spent, but breakfast seemed like eons away. Still, I tucked Liv more tigh
tly against me and kissed her temple. She laughed as my stomach growled.
“Perhaps we should get something to eat,” she suggested.
“I don't know about you,” I said. “But I'm not entirely sure I could move right now.”
She laughed again. “Me either.”
Silence fell and I wondered if she had fallen asleep. Then she spoke, her voice thick with sleep. “I never imagined I would marry.”
“Me, either.” I brushed hair back from her face.
“But I think I like being a wife.”
I kissed her temple again. “And I like being a husband.” It was true, and the realization made me smile. “I like being your husband.” My arms wrapped around her more securely. “I love you, my wife.”
She was almost under as she replied, “And I love you, my husband.”
Epilogue: Six Weeks Later
Blayne
When my father had first set up his conditions, he'd promised that if Livie and I wanted, we could have a real wedding ceremony. Neither of us had cared much at first, but when the marriage had become real, I'd asked Livie if she'd wanted something, and we'd both agreed that we did. We'd gone to my parents and reached a compromise. Livie would be allowed to plan without interference from my mother, and my parents could invite whoever they wanted.
As I stood at the front of the church and watched Livie walk towards me, I was glad we'd done just that. She'd designed her own dress, of course, and I knew it would be one of the things everyone would be talking about. I loved the dress, the way it hugged her body, but that was secondary in my mind. Once my eyes locked with hers, I didn't see anything else.
Everyone knew we were already married so we'd changed the ceremony slightly, but the words didn't matter. I repeated what I was supposed say and then recited the vows I'd written. My eyes burned, but I didn't try to push the tears back, letting them spill over. I'd asked her to be open with me, to let me see her. I owed her the same, and everyone else was just in the background.