choke. ‘You’ve broken me .’
‘I can fix you, Olivia. And I need you to fix me, too.’
My chin starts to tremble at his earnest words. ‘It’s your entire fault,’ I sob, resisting feeling his wayward hair, knowing it’ll offer me comfort that I shouldn’t be seeking from him.
‘I accept full responsibility.’ He kisses my stomach again and glides his palms over my bottom. ‘We’re more broken if we don’t have each other. Let me put us back together again. I need you, Olivia. Desperately. You’re making my world light.’
The word I want to say nearly slips past my lips, but there’s so much that needs to be spoken about. Too much I fear for any of this to ever be right. I’m pulled down to my knees and smothered by his lush, soft lips. The familiar comfort saturates my senses. ‘Miller.’ I break away and hold him at arm’s length. ‘You think it’s that easy?’
His stunning brow furrows deeply as he scans my face. ‘Overthinking.’
I can’t stop my eyes from rolling at his feeble retort. ‘We should talk.’
‘Okay. Let’s talk now,’ he pushes.
I feel frustration starting to take hold again. ‘I need time to think.’
‘People overthink things, Livy. I’ve told you that before.’
He must realise what he’s saying. He’s a smart man. ‘And make big deals of small deals?’ I ask, a light edge of sarcasm lacing my tone.
‘There’s no need for insolence.’
I sigh. ‘I’ve told you before, Miller Hart. With you there is.’
‘How much time?’ He has no counter for that.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never been in a relationship, and I wanted one with you. Then I found out you fuck women for a living!’
‘Livy!’ he yells. ‘Please, don’t be so crass!’
‘I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?’
I expect a scowl but get an even tone and straight face. ‘What the hell has happened to my sweet girl?’ His eyebrows rise, raising my hackles. ‘Getting drunk, offering yourself to other men.’
‘You happened!’ Yes, I got drunk, but only to dull the pain that he’s caused.
‘I don’t want anyone else to taste you.’
‘I feel the same!’ I yell, making him jump before he snarls. His lack of retort should surprise me but it doesn’t. It worries me. But something springs to mind. ‘I saw the newspaper.’
His hostility is sucked up in a second. Now he looks downright uncomfortable, and he isn’t jumping to his defence, confirming my suspicions. Diana Low didn’t take it upon herself to change that headline. Miller told her to.
The sound of pots and pans clanging downstairs distracts me, making my head drop back on a moan of frustration. ‘What have you told Nan?’ I need to clarify this because she’s going to be on me like a vulture the second Miller leaves.
‘Just that we had words, that you misunderstood a woman I had a meeting with as more than the business associate she was.’ A sharp crack spikes in my neck when my head snaps back up. He shrugs and drops his arse to his heels. ‘What else should I have said?’
No answer to that is coming to me. I should be grateful for his quick thinking, but the audacity of his lie to my dear grandmother halts any gratitude. ‘I’ll call you,’ I breathe.
‘What do you mean, you’ll call me?’ His displeasure is obvious. ‘And you have no phone!’
‘You’ve been in another country with another woman.’ I drag myself to my feet, feeling more exhausted than ever before.
‘Livy, I didn’t sleep with her. I’ve not slept with anyone since I met you, I swear.’
I should be relieved, but I’m not. I’m completely shocked. ‘No one?’
‘No, no one.’
‘Not a soul?’ He’s an escort. I’ve seen him with women. He’s been away . . .
His eyes are smiling. ‘No matter how you ask, the answer will still be no. Not a soul.’
‘So what were you doing in Madrid? And that woman at Quaglino’s?’
‘Come and sit.’ He stands and starts pulling me to the bed, but I doggedly
‘I can fix you, Olivia. And I need you to fix me, too.’
My chin starts to tremble at his earnest words. ‘It’s your entire fault,’ I sob, resisting feeling his wayward hair, knowing it’ll offer me comfort that I shouldn’t be seeking from him.
‘I accept full responsibility.’ He kisses my stomach again and glides his palms over my bottom. ‘We’re more broken if we don’t have each other. Let me put us back together again. I need you, Olivia. Desperately. You’re making my world light.’
The word I want to say nearly slips past my lips, but there’s so much that needs to be spoken about. Too much I fear for any of this to ever be right. I’m pulled down to my knees and smothered by his lush, soft lips. The familiar comfort saturates my senses. ‘Miller.’ I break away and hold him at arm’s length. ‘You think it’s that easy?’
His stunning brow furrows deeply as he scans my face. ‘Overthinking.’
I can’t stop my eyes from rolling at his feeble retort. ‘We should talk.’
‘Okay. Let’s talk now,’ he pushes.
I feel frustration starting to take hold again. ‘I need time to think.’
‘People overthink things, Livy. I’ve told you that before.’
He must realise what he’s saying. He’s a smart man. ‘And make big deals of small deals?’ I ask, a light edge of sarcasm lacing my tone.
‘There’s no need for insolence.’
I sigh. ‘I’ve told you before, Miller Hart. With you there is.’
‘How much time?’ He has no counter for that.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never been in a relationship, and I wanted one with you. Then I found out you fuck women for a living!’
‘Livy!’ he yells. ‘Please, don’t be so crass!’
‘I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?’
I expect a scowl but get an even tone and straight face. ‘What the hell has happened to my sweet girl?’ His eyebrows rise, raising my hackles. ‘Getting drunk, offering yourself to other men.’
‘You happened!’ Yes, I got drunk, but only to dull the pain that he’s caused.
‘I don’t want anyone else to taste you.’
‘I feel the same!’ I yell, making him jump before he snarls. His lack of retort should surprise me but it doesn’t. It worries me. But something springs to mind. ‘I saw the newspaper.’
His hostility is sucked up in a second. Now he looks downright uncomfortable, and he isn’t jumping to his defence, confirming my suspicions. Diana Low didn’t take it upon herself to change that headline. Miller told her to.
The sound of pots and pans clanging downstairs distracts me, making my head drop back on a moan of frustration. ‘What have you told Nan?’ I need to clarify this because she’s going to be on me like a vulture the second Miller leaves.
‘Just that we had words, that you misunderstood a woman I had a meeting with as more than the business associate she was.’ A sharp crack spikes in my neck when my head snaps back up. He shrugs and drops his arse to his heels. ‘What else should I have said?’
No answer to that is coming to me. I should be grateful for his quick thinking, but the audacity of his lie to my dear grandmother halts any gratitude. ‘I’ll call you,’ I breathe.
‘What do you mean, you’ll call me?’ His displeasure is obvious. ‘And you have no phone!’
‘You’ve been in another country with another woman.’ I drag myself to my feet, feeling more exhausted than ever before.
‘Livy, I didn’t sleep with her. I’ve not slept with anyone since I met you, I swear.’
I should be relieved, but I’m not. I’m completely shocked. ‘No one?’
‘No, no one.’
‘Not a soul?’ He’s an escort. I’ve seen him with women. He’s been away . . .
His eyes are smiling. ‘No matter how you ask, the answer will still be no. Not a soul.’
‘So what were you doing in Madrid? And that woman at Quaglino’s?’
‘Come and sit.’ He stands and starts pulling me to the bed, but I doggedly
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