Loving Vivienne: The Publicist, Book Six Page 10

  Viv sipped her drink and set the bag down on the counter. She slid onto a barstool and Nick followed her lead.

  “I’m just tired. I’ve been writing.” Daydreaming, she thought, just daydreaming, hitting a key now and again, and praying for inspiration. She played with the edge of the bag while she talked until finally she opened it, removing a scone.

  “Well, I didn’t come here to hound you about the book. I’ll let Kate do that.” He winked.

  Nick took a long sip of his coffee and wrestled with how to bring up the next topic.

  “So, Viv, about the other night.”

  They hadn’t talked about it, and he hadn’t mentioned it until now. But there it was: The other night, when she’d seen her brother nearly implode with rage.

  “I’m so sorry about that, Nick. I just, I didn’t know…”

  “And how could you have known?” Nick shrugged. “Well, it would have been nice if he’d been forthright about it and told you the minute he realized who you were. But he’s an Ellis, so there’s that.” Damn it. He promised himself he’d be in a non-Mac-attack mode, but now the snide comment was out there.

  “Sorry,” he hastily added.

  She nibbled on her pastry and shrugged. “It’s fine,” she said softly, sadly.

  Nick scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “No, Viv. It’s not fine—not even remotely.” He fumbled with his thoughts, trying to figure out how to have this conversation.

  “I came here to tell you not to kick Daniel to the curb because of me.”

  Viv didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She knew her expression would give her away.

  “It’s better this way,” she said, not at all convincingly, and then picked at her scone some more. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. Maybe last night? It was already noon. No wonder her stomach was growling.

  Nick grabbed her barstool and turned her to face him. “Stop it. Don’t do this, Vivy. Kate says he’s a great guy. Don’t throw him away because of who he’s related to.”

  “He came by.” Vivienne took a bite and savored it. God, she truly was starving. “We talked, and he told me he loved me.”

  Nick placed a gentle hand over hers. “Viv, listen. We’ve been through a lot, you and me. Haven’t we?”

  She looked at him and nodded.

  “And,” he continued, “when Kate left me, you got me through that—just you. Did I ever tell you that?”

  She shook her head.

  Nick thought back for a moment. He rarely allowed himself to revisit that miserable episode, especially now that he and Kate were together. All’s well that ends well, and all of that. But it had been a gut-wrenching, horrible time. Viv, who’d been on another one of her overseas trips, came right home and never left his side.

  “Vivy, I want you to be happy. And if Daniel makes you happy, you should go for it. I mean, just jump in feet first.”

  Don’t wait too long, Vivienne. Daniel’s parting words pinged through her head, sounding almost like he was standing right beside her.

  Oh, God. It was past time to get her shit together and stop being such a whiny, lovesick, pathetic…

  She shrugged. “It’s a big city, and I’m sure I can find someone else to date—someone with a less toxic family.” But the words, once out of her mouth, seared a hole right in the center of her heart. The truth was she didn’t want to be with anyone else.

  Nick chuckled. “See, that’s the thing, Viv. Everyone has something wrong with them. No relationship is perfect. If it’s not having Mac as a father, it’ll be something else.

  “I love Kate. We’re solid now. And, yes, I was hurt—okay, devastated—when she went back to Mac, but that’s in the past. I’m over it, and done with resenting Mac for it.”

  Viv eyed him suspiciously.

  “Really. And you know what? I still don’t like the guy. I think he has the moral code of a Beverly Hills housewife, but, as my mega-smart wife reminded me, that isn’t something you inherit.”

  “So Kate sent you?” she asked, still questioning his motives.

  “No, I sent me. Because Kate reminded me what a selfish ass I can be. And she suggested that maybe I had it all wrong, that my preconceived ideas of Mac were clouding my judgment of Daniel.

  “And she was right. I don’t know the guy, but he seems to genuinely care for you. And you know, it’s about time I stopped treating you like you’re twelve or breakable.”

  He nudged her with his elbow and she had to smile. He might have decided to treat her like an adult—finally—but she suspected he’d have a little trouble adjusting. But he was trying.

  “You’ve traveled to more places than I’ll likely see in a lifetime, and you’ve proven you can handle yourself, kid. So I say go after this guy and see what happens.”

  “I love you.” Vivienne felt her throat tighten as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Just know that if he hurts you, I will kill him—slowly and creatively.”

  22

  After her brother left, Viv sat with her thoughts, turning her conversation with Nick over and over in her mind. Uncertainty tugged at her. It would be hard. Well, maybe challenging was a better word. And who needed challenging? She wasn’t excited about knowingly signing up for a challenge. But last she checked, perfect relationships were still a Disney myth.

  She finished her coffee and was debating whether to text Daniel when her phone rang. She noticed the number.

  Daniel.

  Her heart ricocheted in her chest. Her finger hovered over the “answer” button while she tried to catch her breath. Then she pressed the button, still uncertain it was right to talk to him, especially now that she was still feeling a little too vulnerable from the past few days.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said, not even giving her a chance to say hello, his voice so deep and sexy it thrummed through her, settling somewhere in her belly.

  “D-Daniel. Hi. How are you?” She tried to steady her voice, but it shook anyway.

  “I’m downstairs,” he said. “Look, I know I said I’d give you time, but I miss you. I just want to see you.”

  Viv could hear the street noise behind him.

  Downstairs? She sucked in a breath.

  Don’t wait too long, Vivienne.

  “Come on up,” she heard herself whisper. He ended the call. When the doorman announced him, she told him to let him come up. She braced herself while her brother’s words echoed in her head.

  Go after the guy and see what happens.

  When Daniel knocked at her door, she answered right away.

  “Come in,” she said, opening the door wider so he could. He was wearing dress pants, a shirt, and a tie.

  “Did you come from the hospital?”

  He walked into her living room, turned, and nodded. “You’re all I can think about, Vivienne.” He scrubbed a hand over his hair, and it jolted Viv for a moment. She’d seen Mac do the same thing. There were odd little similarities like that. Daniel had his height, a few mannerisms, and certainly he had the handsome family gene in spades. But she forced herself to acknowledge that’s really where it ended.

  “I-I’m sorry,” she said. “I just needed time to think.”

  Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets, rattling his change. “I know this is complicated,” he began. “I mean, I know this isn’t ideal.”

  “It’s okay.” She was still whispering, and the full meaning of what she’d just said fluttered through her.

  Her heart kicked up. A lot.

  Daniel blinked, “What?”

  “Let’s try this.” She licked her lips, her mouth dry. This was a big leap, one of her biggest. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Let’s try having a relationship.” Better, but her voice trailed off at the end.

  Daniel looked like he’d been knocked on his ass. He crossed the room, hot, bristling energy storming around him. Without word or thought, they were wrapped around each other, mouths seeking and finding, and, God, the charge nearly
lifted her off of her feet.

  Viv felt as though she was hovering in the air and melting into him at the same time. He was at once familiar and new. His mouth was hot and hungry. It was simply unbelievable, how good it was to feel him again, elemental, fundamental, primally right to be with Daniel, to kiss him, to…to…to let him own her again. From the minute he pulled her from the water, their souls had entwined and become one. As much as she tried to fight it, this was it—what her heart had been looking for.

  Daniel kissed her hard, his hands shaking as he stroked and kneaded her everywhere. Then he lifted her and headed toward the couch.

  “No,” she whispered in his ear. “My room.”

  Carrying her effortlessly, as though she weighed nothing, he continued to kiss her while he walked down the hall. She pointed to her room, and he pushed the door open with his foot.

  “I love you, Vivienne,” he breathed into her hair.

  She almost said it back, but stopped herself. Too soon, she thought, but not too soon for this.

  She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt and then pushed it off of his shoulders, revealing his strong, firm chest. Then she worked on his belt, loosening it while he kissed her. She felt him lift her T-shirt over her head, and then her jeans fell away. She stepped out of them, running her hands along his bare torso that was rippled with strength and very lightly dusted with chest hair, including a treasure trail that drained away every thought in her brain.

  He let his pants drop, revealing a pair of briefs that strained to contain him. Daniel stroked her shoulder with a finger, pushing down her bra strap, and kissing a soft path down her shoulder. Then he gently unlatched the bra, letting it fall away. His mouth found one of her nipples, and she moaned softly, running her fingers through his dark hair. He licked it, sucked on it, and then circled it with his tongue.

  A fire exploded within her, and she felt desert-hot and wet at the same time. He knelt in front of her, kissing a path down her belly. Then he tugged gently at her panties while his mouth found that sweet spot that sent her mind spiraling. She couldn’t feel her legs, just the beat of his tongue on her, then inside her. Her fingers were in his hair while he licked and sucked, feeling her orgasm starting to build.

  Without warning, he lifted her into the air and placed her on the bed. He stood over her, hard with need and hot with desire. He bent down, kissed her tenderly, and then lifted her hips and slid into her, easing himself gently at first with every thrust inching a bit deeper into her.

  Vivienne lifted her hips to meet his, kissing him deeply. The feel of him inside her, filling her, split her mind in two. She was reeling from the hot, wet desire and his hands on her, caressing her, and the maddening, delightful friction of their joining.

  She could feel the first tendrils of her orgasm tingle in her toes, and she clutched him harder while he drove into her, harder and faster now. Desire like fireworks sizzled and sparked through her body, and suddenly she came—not in one wave, but several. She’d never felt anything like it in her life.

  How his touch made her feel, how her body responded to him, and the pleasure she could see on his face made her heart swell. When he was certain she’d come, he let himself go, burying himself deeper inside her. His pace sped up, and he cried out just as the intensity of it peaked and his body exploded.

  “God, you are amazing,” he whispered breathlessly while he kissed the beads of sweat around her temples.

  Viv ran a hand along his back.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said, equally breathless.

  Daniel pushed himself off of her. Lying next to her, he propped himself up on his elbow.

  “I was worried that we’d never be able to be together like this again,” he said softly.

  She looked at him, his beautiful hair in disarray and his eyes dark and loving. How could she not be with this man?

  “What changed your mind?” he asked, slightly hesitant.

  “My brother.” Then she thought how silly it sounded, and she could feel the heat creep into her cheeks.

  Daniel frowned. “How so?”

  “I—it’s nothing,” Silly that she needed her brother’s approval, or that Nick coming there and talking to her had turned the tide in Daniel’s favor—even if it was true.

  Daniel became pensive and then said, “No, I get it. You and Nick are close, and he and my dad…let’s just say it’s complicated, to say the least.”

  Her chest squeezed. How could he know without knowing? Whatever the reason, whatever insight he had, it rocked her. No one had ever known her so well or bothered to even try.

  Daniel was unlike any of the pale, vague boyfriends she had in the past. He was, in the words of her dear, savvy, outrageous friend Samantha, a keeper.

  He kissed her gently and said, “Whatever happens, we’ll work through it. Will you promise me that, Vivy?”

  “I promise,” she said simply and from the bottom of her heart. Then she snuggled closer and said, “I can’t get enough of you.” And with that his hands were on her again.

  “Good,” he said in a fierce voice that had nothing to do with lust and everything to do with emotion. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, to-the-soul emotion.

  23

  “So you’re dating now?” Sam grinned and sipped her wine while Evie nudged her.

  “What? They’re sleeping together. I would assume that also means dating, unless you’re just using him.” She winked.

  Viv took a long gulp of her wine. In the past week she and Daniel had been inseparable, spending every minute together when he wasn’t working and she wasn’t writing. And, speaking of writing: Ta-daaaa! Her inspiration had returned. Go figure.

  She looked around the bar, which was packed with the after-work crowd. She’d suggested this get-together because she hadn’t seen much of either of her friends since they got back from Costa Rica, between her moping and now her sex-a-thons with Daniel.

  “We’re happy,” she said, feeling a smile bloom from her heart to her face. And, oh, how happy they were. She’d never known her body to crave as much sex as it did when she was near Daniel. So far they’d done it in her bed (too many times to count), in the shower, in the living room, in the kitchen (on the counter), and in her office (many times there, too). There wasn’t a single piece of furniture or room they hadn’t christened.

  Sam leaned closer, “You’re having mind-numbing sex, and I’m insanely jealous.”

  “I kind of am, too,” Evie said. “But we’re also happy for you.”

  “So when’s the big day?” That got Sam another elbow from her friend.

  “What? He told her he loves her and they’re sexually compatible—make that very compatible. What’s left to worry about?”

  Evie shook her head. “Oh, well, let’s see. Things like: Do they want children? What else do they have in common? You know, important stuff like that.”

  Sam sipped her wine and rolled her eyes, “Pfffft,” she said. “Sex is one of the key factors to a lasting relationship.”

  “I thought friendship was,” Viv said. “Besides, we’re nowhere near that stage yet. It’s still new and fresh and fun, and I’d like to enjoy it for a while.”

  Sam shrugged, “Well, you do have to figure out the Dad thing.”

  Viv shook her head, “We’re not going there. We talked about it. No visits to his parents and no visits with my brother, not until we’re down the road a bit. For now, we’re keeping it to just the two of us.”

  “That’s smart,” Evie said. “In fact, I think that’s very smart. Get some solid footing under you before you—”

  “Go kiss the ring of the devil,” Sam winked, “albeit a hot devil.”

  “We’re very busy, anyway. I’ve got a deadline in a month, and Daniel’s on a lot of rotations at NYU,” Viv said, ignoring her friend’s comment. Yes, they would eventually have to figure out the family thing, but not now. Not anytime soon.

  “Take it slow,” Evie winked. “Just take it slow. Build this, the two of
you, and see how it goes before you bring in too many variables.”

  Viv nodded. “Yes, we’re a long, long time away from any family stuff.” But something inside her tightened. It would happen, eventually. It would have to. Daniel came with baggage. Hell, they both did. She only hoped when the time came to do the family thing, that they could weather it together.

  24

  Three months later…

  “Kate, got a minute?”

  Mac stood in Kate’s office, and the sight of him rattled her slightly. He hadn’t been in this office since she’d kicked him out when they broke up. Now he was here, and she reminded herself there was a good chance they would be seeing a lot more of each other. It didn’t bother her, per se. It was just, well, odd.

  “Mac, hi.” She didn’t stand or offer a hand. She just gestured for him to sit.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Well, I had this idea. I ran it by Sydney, and she thought it was a terrible idea. But I decided I’d come to you anyway.”

  Kate frowned, “Um, okay.”

  “I want to have Daniel and Vivienne over for dinner. You and Nick, as well, and the baby if you want to bring him.”

  Kate almost laughed. Was he kidding?

  She waved her hand. “Wait, you want to have your son and his girlfriend,” she restrained herself from adding who hates you, “over for dinner? Why on earth would you do that?”

  Mac crossed his legs, which she recognized was a sign that he was getting impatient. “Well they’ve been dating for, what, three months now? And Daniel’s never been happier, so I think it’s time for us to show a unified front.”

  “I think Sydney is right; it’s a dumb idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we need to give them more time. Three months is hardly enough time to cement a relationship, and I think this needs some cementing before we throw them into the lion’s den like this.”

  “Under normal circumstances, it would be acceptable, right? I mean, families meet. Daniel loves her. He’s said as much. I bet he’ll propose.”