He smiles at me and sighs.
“Either way, I don’t want to hear it,” he claims. “We’re going through this trial where I show you that we can be together. Where I sweep you off your feet and you fall in love with me.”
I want to tell him that I already love him. That I’ve loved him for a long time. That we shouldn’t waste another day.
“Listen, Liv. I want us to be sure about each other. Earlier, I told you how I feel about you, but I haven’t shown it to you. For all you know, I’m desperate because it’s obvious that I haven’t had sex since… your mom was sick. Or maybe you’re the one who wants to take advantage of me.” He narrows his gaze. “We know how needy you are when I’m around.”
“You wish,” I tease him.
“Oh, I do,” he confirms. “That’s the thing. I want this to be about us getting together because we want to spend the rest of our lives as soul mates. Not because we have a chemistry that’s off the charts.”
“So, we’re doing this?”
He nods. “What’s your schedule for the week?”
“I have work to do,” I remind him.
“What’s your schedule?”
“Tomorrow I have to be at the office. We have a meeting with all the branches—Dad will be there. On Tuesday, I have a cake tasting, a dress fitting, and a consultation. I don’t know what’s on Wednesday,” I answer. “How about you?”
“I have to be at the office for a couple of hours. Also, I’d love to bring you to the office. There are a few things I want to show you,” he says with so much excitement.
“Still trying to convince me to work for you?”
He reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “You can’t blame me for trying.”
When we arrive at my house, he walks me to my door.
“Thank you for letting us visit and for coming to meet my family,” he says, caressing my jaw with the back of his hand.
“It was interesting.”
He leans closer and kisses my cheek. “At what time do you want me to pick you up?”
“I have to work,” I remind him.
“At what time are you heading to the office?” he rephrases his question.
“At six thirty,” I respond. “Are you planning on waking up early and following me around?”
“Not like a stalker, but we’re spending the week together.”
A part of me wants to tell him to come inside. I’ve missed him, but I like this idea of doing this old school.
“Good night, Liv,” he places a kiss close to my ear. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Olivia
“Good morning,” Eros greets me when I open the door. He hands me a paper bag and a to-go mug.
“Poison?”
He grins. “Now, why would I be giving you poison?”
“You waited all this time to lure me close to your family so you guys can do a sacrifice,” I joke, taking a sip of the tea. “No coffee?”
“No. Yerba Mate,” he informs me. “Same results, without the caffeine.”
“It’s tasty,” I declare, giving him the mug and looking in the bag. “Cronut?”
He nods. “Yep. Now, can you tell me about this sacrifice we’re performing?”
“Obviously it’s to keep the yetis away.” I smirk.
He bursts into laughter. “I love that wild imagination of yours.”
“Only child, remember?”
“No. I’m sure that’s all you, Liv.” He kisses my forehead. “And as much as I’d love to keep chatting about your quirky personality, we have to go. It’s fucking freezing.”
“Let me grab my bag,” I tell him, heading to the foyer where I have everything ready. I lock up and set the alarm from my phone.
Once we’re in the car, I give him the address where the branch is located.
“It’s not that far from my office,” he points out. “Isn’t it funny that we both live in the Denver Tech Center and work in the same area too?”
“It’s close to Holly’s business too,” I respond. “That’s what made me choose this neighborhood. I don’t like to drive much.”
“That brings me to the biggest question.” He pauses. “What made you become a wedding planner?”
“Event planner,” I correct him. “Holly almost lost her baby during the first trimester. She needs to take it easy until the little creature arrives. I’m here to cover for her.”
“Of course you are.” He huffs. “When is it Liv’s turn to do something she loves?”
“I love working with Dad,” I answer. “There’s something about planning a renovation, designing an entire development, or just building a house that’s fulfilling. My work is to ensure that someone has a warm, well-built place to enjoy. It might be a new family, a retired couple, or someone who is living on their own for the first time. Seeing a community that we planned from scratch grow into a beautiful neighborhood is more satisfying than I ever imagined.”
When we get to a stoplight, he looks at me with a big grin. “I knew you were going to find it.”
“What?”
“Your passion,” he explains to me. “In the beginning, I thought it would be the company you helped me set up. You loved to hear about its progress, but you weren’t that invested. This is the first time I’ve heard you talk about something with so much passion. Now… I might have a proposition for you.”
“Is it the indecent kind?”
He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. “Oh, yes. That’s exactly where this is going, Ms. Sierra.”
“Interesting. What do you have in mind?” I say in a very provocative way.
“Liv, don’t do that. I can’t handle that voice right now. I want you so much that I might just turn around, drag you to my room, and skip everything I have planned for this week.”
“Promises, promises,” I taunt him. “Tell me about your proposal.”
I knew he was starting to build houses in Costa Rica. What I didn’t know is that he wants to develop a community.
“So, you want to hire us?”
“No, I want to partner with you,” he corrects as he enters the parking garage. “Do you have a place designated to you or can I choose any spot?”
“Park in the visitor area. It’s too early to contact the management office and give them your car’s information. The next time you come, I’ll have a pass for you.”
“You plan on inviting me again?” He winks at me.
“Don’t be cocky, Brassard. I’m saying it because that partnership sounds like something Dad and I might want to do.”
“We can discuss it after your meeting,” he says as we make our way toward the elevator.
The meeting takes the usual two hours. By nine everyone is going back to their offices. Dad, who called into the meeting from San Francisco, doesn’t mention anything about Eros being in the room. When it’s just Eros and me, he says, “Can I access my computer from yours?”