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I shrugged. "I just couldn't sleep."
"Sweetheart, are you having nightmares again?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
"A few. I slept with Trouble last night. For a little dog, he’s a bed hog."
Oliver frowned. "You know I don’t want him in bed with us. It spawns bad habits."
"Then stop going away," I retorted, my voice softer, almost pleading.
"Once more and I’m done for a while."
"What about next month? You have to fly to Fox Island to see everything is done properly."
"You’ll be with me," he said.
I groaned. "I’m not sure I can. I have so much to do for the wedding."
"It’s a few short days, maybe two or three. We can take a much-deserved mini vacation."
"We can discuss it in a few weeks."
He chuckled. "And you call me a workaholic."
I snorted. "You’re a bad influence."
Oliver nodded. "I guess I am."
"I don’t want phones or electronics on our honeymoon. I don’t want to share you. I’m not even sure I want to leave the island. We can explore. I’d love to swim in the lagoon," I stated.
I made the decision of no electronics when I chose our wedding date. Even when he was off or we were away for a holiday, Oliver worked. Maybe it was selfish, but I wanted him all to myself on our honeymoon without distractions.
"We’ll do all of that, but you might get sick of me."
I shook my head. "I doubt it. I missed you these past weeks."
"I’m here now," he said, his eyes softening.
As Vlad pulled up in front of our building and got out to open the door for me, I felt a wave of relief. I was glad to be home and even happier to have Oliver with me, at least for tonight.
I woke to the sound of the shower running. Oliver was already up, and it was nearing 6:30 a.m. I had hoped he would stay in bed with me a little longer since he was leaving for London this afternoon. I would be alone for another two days. Trouble heard me stir and jumped up from his dog bed near the closet.
"Come here, boy," I called softly.
Trouble trotted over, and I leaned over to pick him up. He was just under eighteen pounds now, a bit overweight because I spoiled him. Oliver would probably be annoyed to find him on the bed, but Trouble would be my sleeping companion for the next two evenings.
The dog settled next to me, and I put my head on the pillow, stroking his fur. He put his head on my stomach and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, the shower turned off, and Oliver emerged from the bathroom with a towel hanging low on his waist. I loved the cuts around his hips and the ridges in his abs.
"Ryleigh, I told you that’s not a good idea," he said, nodding toward Trouble on the bed.
"Then stay home," I replied, not missing a beat.
"This trip is the last one for a while. You can still come with me," he offered, running a hand through his damp hair.
"I have a project. We have a back order on marble for the lobby of Fox Towers."
"I thought that was straightened out?" Oliver asked, a crease forming between his brows.
Fox Towers was a project downtown by the waterfront, a mix of commercial space and high-end residences. Oliver had placed it in my hands, and despite my efforts, we were behind schedule by a couple of weeks.
