I nod. He shows me the area where they’re building the first homes, and the tentative plans they have. “We need someone with experience that will help us develop the area in a way that won’t affect the ecosystem.”
“What’s the deadline?”
“We’re focusing on those three houses for now,” he explains. “I’m not going back until November. Gil is in charge of everything while I’m scouting other places to expand. Though, I’d like to have a crew ready to come with me if possible.”
“Can we visit before November? We need to know what we’re working with,” I explain to him.
“Of course. We can go as many times as it’s needed. I’m not expecting you to say yes right now. However, I hope that you guys will consider it.”
“If you can give me a written proposal, I’ll discuss it with Dad,” I say a little too excited. This is exactly what I was looking for. I don’t want to tell him yes until Dad and I know the requirements and go through the budget.
He smiles. “I’ll have it for you tomorrow afternoon.”
“Are you busy today?”
“I’m spending the day with you.” He winks at me.
“You’re in for a treat, Brassard. I’ll dismiss my assistant. Lunch is at eleven.”
“The woman is bossier than I remember.” He pats the conference room table. “But I might get some use out of this table in the future, and I’ll be the one giving orders.”
“We’ll see.” I suck on my bottom lip and head to my office.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Eros
This week I’ve seen Liv wearing all kinds of outfits from leggings to pantsuits. Tonight, though, she looks spectacular. She’s wearing a little black dress, a pair of fuck me shoes, and her hair is tied into a fancy bun with some strands curling around her neck.
“I still feel weird that you missed your weekly dinner with your family.” She leans forward, setting her palms on the table. “Your parents are leaving tomorrow.”
“What did we do yesterday?” I shoot her an annoyed look. She rolls her eyes. “Exactly. You had to go over to Persy’s house to help set up for Nova’s party. We were there at the party. We helped clean up and stayed for dinner. I think they’ll be fine if I don’t see them today.”
She shakes her head.
We’re on our first real date. I can’t believe that after so many years we have never gone out on a date. Have we gone out to eat dinner together? Yes, several times. It’s not the same though. There’s a huge difference between taking her out to eat between shifts taking care of her parents and inviting her because I want to woo her.
This week has been different from our usual encounters. We’ve been weaving our schedules so we can see each other during the day. Though I’d love to get together with her at night, we’re not ready for it. My lips crave hers, my body desires hers more than anything in the world. It’s been so long, but I want to make sure that she knows that us is more than sex. Us is about family, forever, and finding home.
I need her to know that I love her in ways that I don’t think are possible to love anyone else. I love her the only way one can love their soul mate—forever. It’s taken too long to get to her, but knowing that she’s at the end of this journey, I’ll walk this path without hesitation.
“Still, I don’t think it was wise to leave my parents alone with your family,” she continues.
Otto arrived on Thursday to discuss the partnership with my company. Dan traveled along to visit Liv. I invited them to Nova’s birthday party so they could spend some time with their daughter. My family welcomed them. I’m sure tonight’s dinner is going to send them running back to San Francisco. They might forbid Liv from seeing me again, but that’s fine. I think both families need to learn to get along.
“Are you saying that my family is a bunch of savages?” I arch an eyebrow. “Because I’d agree with you. They are.”
“They’re lovely. I’m afraid that your parents might ask inappropriate questions.”
“Or give them tips on how to have better pleasure during the act,” I say and wink at her.
She covers her ears with both hands. “Oh God, I’m not sure this was a good idea.”
“Is Beatriz coming to visit you?”
She shakes her head. “Not for now. Maybe when it’s warmer. Mom is in Belize avoiding the cold weather.”
“Mom and Beatriz in one room might be like a time paradox,” I joke.
“You’re kidding, but that’s going to be chaos.”
I take her hand and kiss it. “Nothing would make me happier than having that kind of mayhem for the rest of my life.”
“Eros,” she whispers.
“Liv, I know it’s terrifying to give away your heart. To trust that I won’t be leaving you—or sending you away,” I say, but stop. These are words that shouldn’t be spoken just yet. There are a lot of things we have to discuss. “It’s frightening for me too, but I trust you.”
“To tell you the truth, when Holly asked me if I could help her, the first thing I thought was maybe Eros and I can finally be in the same place,” she confesses. “But you disappeared on me. I understand it was a foolish misunderstanding that blew out of proportion last Saturday. These past months I’ve been wondering what I did wrong to make you disappear from my life.”
“So, you came for me.”
“There you go, ruining the moment.”
“I’m still wondering what I have to do to make you fall madly in love with me.”
She smiles. “I’m already in love with you. If you play your cards right, I can fall more and more just by being around you.” She clears her throat. “Honestly, I’m sure I fell madly, irrevocably in love with you when Dad was in the hospital. You always make me feel safe. You give me strength.”
“You’re the love of my life,” I say. “I have a confession to make. The first time I realized that you had some kind of grasp on my heart, it terrified me. It made me superbly happy that I had no idea what to do, so I ran.”
She gives me a flirty look. “Maybe we should run together.” She sucks her lip provocatively. “Home.”
I raise my hand, signaling to the server that I need the check. We make it to my house in less than ten minutes. I’m glad I chose a place close to my office. We barely make it out of the car before my lips are on Liv’s. I’m pressing her body against the garage door.
I want to wrap her legs around my body, show her how hard I am for her. Take her mouth, rip off her clothes, but I can’t. Not just yet. We have to finish talking.
“Though I need you so much, we need to talk. I want to make sure that this is the beginning of forever. That we agree this is more than what we had in the past. This time, there won’t be your world and mine. It’ll be you and me living our lives. Together,” I say, my voice is so croaky it sounds like grunts. “Us, existing in one time zone. Not through texts and serendipitous moments.”
“What are you saying?” Her lips tremble.