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“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” I retorted, though I couldn’t deny the flutter in my chest at the thought of him watching over me.
“I know you are,” he said, his voice softening. “But I couldn’t help it. I’ve missed you, Ryleigh. Every day without you has been hell.”
I bit my lip to hold back the tears. “I missed you too, but I’m hurt. You know how to hurt me worse than anyone can.”
Oliver hung his head and looked at the counter. It gave me a chance to travel his form with my eyes. The polo shirt he was wearing hugged his body showing every ridge and cut. His shorts curved around his muscular posterior. I stopped looking because I felt my core tighten with need. It had been months since I had sex, and the last time was with Oliver.
“I know. I told you I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
His stare was intense, and his sapphire eyes looked like they were glistening with tears. I looked away because if I kept his gaze, I would start crying. We had been through so much in the past year and with our first anniversary coming soon, it was time to make a decision to move on or end our relationship for good.
“Do you want to eat with me?” I said in a soft tone.
His face brightened and he swiped his fingers across his eyes. “I’d like that.”
We finished eating, and after Oliver helped me clean the dishes, we took our glasses of fruity white wine and went to sit outside on my small terrace. It was a far cry from the expansive one at the penthouse, and I missed it. We settled onto the white loungers and looked out at the park as the sun set over the city.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence.
“You ordered it and I invited myself,” he replied with a smirk.
I smirked back. “Typical. You ate a lot. When was the last time you had food?”
“Last night. I’ve been busy,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.
“Busy?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow.
“Many projects need my attention. I could use you back. Have you started a new job yet?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes searching.
“No. I’m not sure what I want to do,” I admitted, staring into my wine.
“You can come back and work with me. Your office is still vacant,” he offered, leaning forward slightly.
“Is that on purpose, or you haven’t found another protégé to mentor?” I asked, my voice tinged with skepticism.
“It’s on purpose. I’ve had plenty of time to think, too much in fact. I hate that my bed is empty at night,” he confessed, his gaze intense.
“Has it been empty the entire three months?” I asked, unable to hide the edge in my voice.
Oliver coughed on the wine in his mouth. “Are you asking if I slept with anyone else?”
“You looked pretty cozy with Lara in those pictures,” I said, my eyes narrowing.
“She was my escort, nothing more. I’m not interested in having sex with her. We’re friends,” he explained, his tone defensive.
“Then answer my question. Have you slept with anyone since our separation?” I demanded, my heart pounding.
“No. There’s no one else I want. Don’t you know that?” he replied, his voice softening.
“Oliver, we had a pretty fucked up end to our relationship. I don’t know anything at this point,” I said, feeling a lump in my throat.
“Our relationship isn’t over,” he stated firmly.
“Then what do you call our separation?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“A hiatus. We’re never going to be over. I won’t let it happen,” he said, his eyes locked on mine.
“But you almost did. We almost ended because of what happened,” I whispered, tears pricking my eyes.
