Love Me Like You Do Read online

  It takes thirty minutes to write the report, and before I lose my nerve, and I send it to Bill via e-mail. Now I can concentrate on my current to-do list that seems to get longer by the hour. The London office needs banners, the K-12 team wants help organizing a series of webinars, and I need to send a new PowerPoint template to Ralph. I’m sure I’ll receive more ad-hoc, last-minute requests before the day is over.

  I’m in the middle of a call when Bill sticks his head out of his office and asks me to come in when I’m off the phone. Five minutes later, I’m sitting across from him, my stomach twisted in knots. He probably wants to talk about the e-mail I sent him earlier.

  “What’s the status of the webinar series project?”

  “I’m about half done. The landing page needs tweaks, and I’m waiting from copy for the e-mails.”

  “And when is that due?” Bill keeps staring at his monitor, as if giving me his undivided attention is too much to ask.

  “This Friday.”

  “Not a lot of time left. I’m going to ask Celine to help out.”

  My jaw drops of its own accord. “I can finish the task within the deadline. Celine hasn’t been involved, so it will take more time to brief her than doing it myself.”

  Bill finally looks at me, frowning. “If you want Celine to stop making mistakes, you have to find the time to train her properly.”

  “Are you referring to the report I sent you? That’s a completely different situation and has nothing to do with being properly trained. Those were rookie mistakes.”

  “I didn’t call you in here to listen to you complain about your coworker. You’re overworked and you need to start sharing the load more.”

  “No offense, Bill, but Celine will most likely mess up the webinar project. I don’t trust her to handle it, even with hand-holding.”

  My candid opinion doesn’t seem to sit well with Bill if the clench of his jaw is any indication.

  “This is not up for discussion. You’ll hand over the project to Celine.”

  Frustration turns to anger, and I feel I’m on the verge of losing control when there’s a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” Bill says.

  Sharon, the PR manager, opens the door. “Hi, Bill. Ready for our meeting?”

  “Yeah. Liv and I are done here.”

  Not wanting to look unprofessional, I’m forced to swallow my temper and pride. I greet Sharon as I walk out of Bill’s office, but not with my usual cheer. When I return to my desk, I see an e-mail from stupid Celine saying she’s out sick. Great. How am I supposed to explain to her what needs to be done if she’s not in the office?

  I spot another e-mail from the K-12 product manager, asking for an update on the webinar series. Instead of giving her one, I inform her that Celine will be handling the project now. The manager’s prompt reply is to ask why. Beyond the point of giving a fuck, I tell her it was Bill’s decision. I’m so not taking the fall when this project fails.

  I also decide to leave the office at five. It’s the first time ever that I leave before my boss does. When I get home, my anger has morphed into sadness. All I want to to do is curl up on the sofa with a container of ice cream. I’m surprised when I find Sebastian is already home, but there’s no sign of Fritz.

  “I thought you had a late meeting.” I drop my purse and keys on the dining room table.

  “Nope. Got rescheduled. What are you doing home so early?”

  “I decided to leave work at a decent hour for once. Where’s Fritz?”

  “At your parents’. I figured that with both of us working late this week, it would be best if he stayed there. You look upset.”

  “I do?”

  Sebastian breaks the distance between us, touching my cheek with the tip of his fingers when he stops in front of me. “Yes, you do. Let’s go out to dinner.”

  I want to say I’m too tired to go out, but Kimmy’s words come back to haunt me. I haven’t given Sebastian enough attention.

  “Sure. Give me thirty minutes to change.”

  “Take your time. I’m in the mood for Mexican food, does that sound okay to you?”

  “Yeah, I could eat some tacos.”

  Thirty minutes later, we are on our way to the restaurant. But when Sebastian misses the exit to downtown, I turn to him. “I thought we were going to Loretta’s.”

  “I’d like to try a new place, something more authentic.” He smirks at me and I have the feeling he’s up to something.

  When we approach a private airport, I know I’m right.

  “What’s this?” I ask.

  Sebastian parks the car, then turns to me with a shit-eating grin on his face. “When I said I wanted to try authentic Mexican food, I really meant it. We’re going to Cabo for dinner.”

  “Cabo? Are you crazy? I can’t go to Mexico. I have to work tomorrow.”

  “No, you don’t. I’m kidnapping you.”

  I don’t say anything for a couple of beats, trying to formulate a reply that won’t hurt Sebastian’s feelings. I get the gesture. It’s super-romantic, but also super-irresponsible.

  “I can’t simply not show up for work tomorrow.”

  “Yes, you can. How many times have you called in sick since you started working there?”

  “Never and you know it. It’s beside the point. You know I can’t lie.”

  He touches my face. “I know, Liv. Relax. I’ve cleared it with your boss. You won’t get in trouble.”

  Now things begin to make sense. That’s why Bill gave my project to Celine. I can’t believe Sebastian had the gall to call my boss and ask him to give me time off.

  “You spoke to Bill?”

  “No, with Rodrigo.”

  “Bas! That’s even worse and extremely unprofessional. No wonder Bill was so curt to me today. I’m not going.” I cross my arms in front of my chest and pout like a petulant child.

  The levity leaves Sebastian’s face. He stares ahead and sighs loudly. “I was afraid you would react this way. I don’t know what else to do here, Liv. I’m trying my best to work on our marriage, but you make it so damn hard sometimes.”

  Tears prick my eyes. Have I pushed Sebastian too far? Is this our do-or-die moment?

  “This is difficult for me.” I stare out the window. “I guess I don’t know how to balance things.”

  He touches my arm, drawing my attention back to him. “I want to help you, my love. Will you please let me?”

  Sebastian always had the most expressive eyes, and right now, he’s showing all his love for me in them. “That’s why you took Fritz to my parents’?”

  “Yes. They weren’t too thrilled to be stuck babysitting the devil’s spawn. They’re fully stocked with holy water, just in case.”

  His lips twitch upward and I hit his arm.

  “Stop calling Fritz the devil’s spawn.”

  “So, what do you say, Liv? Are we having real Mexican food tonight or not?”

  “Only if it’s accompanied by margaritas.”

  Seven

  LIV

  I hear Sebastian curse in the room, so with toothbrush still stuck in my mouth, I go investigate. He’s staring at the suitcase—no, glowering at it—with hands on his hips as if it has done him great injury.

  “What’s the matter?” I ask, which sounds garbled with my mouth still full of toothpaste foam.

  “I forgot my swim trunks.”

  Shaking my head, I return to the sink to rinse my mouth.

  “I swear I packed them,” Sebastian continues.

  “Did you pack my bikini?”

  “Yeah, yeah, it’s on the bed already.”

  Back in the room, I frown at the micro-scrap of fabric some people call swimwear. Kimmy got it for me when she went with Owen to Brazil. It’s as skimpy as can be and I never actually had the courage to wear it. I wonder if Sebastian realizes how small it is. A grin unfurls on my lips. I grab the bikini and head to the bathroom to change while Sebastian is occupied.

  A minute later, I’m rea
dy to go, and I see that he’s found his swim trunks already. Butt naked, he’s about to put them on when he pauses to look at me. His jaw drops at the same time his eyes turn as round as saucers.

  “What are you wearing?”

  Faking innocence, I glance down at my suit. “A bikini?”

  “Says who?”

  I shrug. “Brazilians?” My gaze drops below his waist and I raise an eyebrow. “It seems Junior approves.”

  “Junior doesn’t know any better.” Sebastian throws his swim trunks aside and stalks my way, hunger flashing in his eyes. “Come here.”

  I try to sidestep him. “No way. Pool and sunshine await.”

  He’s faster than me, tackling me to the bed before I can blink. He rests his arms on each side of my head, effectively caging me in.

  “What are you doing?” I ask through giggles.

  “You can’t expect me to behave when you wear something barely there.”

  “Don’t you have any self-control?”

  “When it comes to you? No.”

  He lowers his face to mine and pries my lips open with his tongue for a delicious slow kiss. I open my legs to accommodate him better, his erection pressing against my pubic bone. God, I’ve missed this. Sebastian and I haven’t been this close in a while. I’ve been too busy and tired for sexy times.

  When we arrived at the hotel last night, I’m ashamed to say I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

  Sebastian’s hands run down my arms until they stop on my hips, squeezing them. His fingers pull at the strings on each side of the bikini bottom, but I tied extra hard knots, so all he accomplishes is to undo the bow.

  “What the hell.” He breaks the kiss to glower at the sudden roadblock.

  “You didn’t want me to lose the bikini in the pool, did you?”

  “What’s the bloody point of a bikini with strings if I can’t get them off in the blink of an eye?”

  I grab his face with both hands. “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Any further argument he might have dies as Sebastian takes my lead. We don’t waste time with foreplay as we’re both starved for each other’s touch. Without bothering to remove my bikini bottom, he simply pushes the fabric aside and enters me with a precise thrust. A zing of pleasure shoots up my spine, making me arch my back. I didn’t realize how much my body craved the feel of Sebastian inside of me.

  His grunts become louder as he increases the pace. To grant him better access and to increase friction in the right spot, I raise my knees, hooking my ankles behind his butt. The pressure down below builds faster than usual, and before I know it, I’m shattering into a thousand pieces. Sebastian’s body trembles on top of mine as his own release sweeps through him.

  Then he stops moving, collapsing on top of me, and the only sound in the room is our combined shallow breathing.

  “Bas, you’re crushing me.”

  “Oops, sorry.” He rolls off but keeps his arms wrapped tight across my body. Then he kisses my shoulder and, out of nowhere, I burst into tears.

  “Liv, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?” He lifts his upper body and peers at me with so much worry in his gaze, it only makes me cry harder.

  “I’m so sorry, Bas.” He pulls me against his chest, and I gladly hide my face against his warm skin. “I didn’t mean to push you away. I’ve been such a bitch.”

  “Shh, baby. It’s okay. We’re going to fix this. I promise.”

  I hug him tighter and don’t let go until the sobs stop racking my body.

  SEBASTIAN

  My heart is still tight as I walk with Liv by my side down to the pool area of our luxurious resort. My hand is on her lower back, protectively. Witnessing her break apart in my arms earlier made me wish I had done something about the situation sooner. It feels like I failed her, just like I did six years ago. We’ve come across many hurdles since then, impossible situations that created a fissure between us. When I found her in London after so many years apart, the fissure used to be a chasm so deep, it’s almost unbelievable I was able to cross it.

  We’ve mended many bridges, but not completely. We used to be so close when we were younger. I want to get that back.

  It’s still early, so we manage to snag two chaise lounges near the pool. Liv takes off the loose tunic, revealing the skimpy bikini she insisted on wearing. If I’d known it was that small, I wouldn’t have packed it. My cock twitches inside my swim trunks. The quickie this morning sure wasn’t enough to satiate my hunger for her.

  Liv seems to guess where my thoughts strayed to when she catches me staring at her. Her gaze lowers to my crotch and she raises an eyebrow.

  “You’re killing me,” I say.

  “It’s your fault for packing it.”

  “No, it’s your sister’s fault for buying that.”

  Liv rolls her eyes and sits on the chaise lounge. When she starts to lather her body with tanning oil, I have to look away to maintain my sanity.

  “I wonder how Fritz is doing,” I say. The mention of our ugly-ass dog ought to be enough to cool my jets.

  “I hope Kimmy doesn’t decide to take care of Fritz’s problem herself.” Liv laughs, referring to the dog’s mad love for her sister’s leg.

  “I hope she does.”

  “He’s our dog!”

  Before I can comment, two kids come running and cannonball into the pool, splashing water everywhere and soaking us in the process. Liv lets out a shriek.

  Two men follow the brats, both looking appalled. While one is busy yelling at the kids, the other comes up to us.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. It was getting hot anyway.” Liv wipes the lenses of her sunglasses.

  “It’s all good,” I add.

  The man turns to me and stares. Oh shit. Here we go. “I know you. You were in Boys Future with Oliver Best, right?”

  “Yes. I’m Sebastian.”

  “Coleman, right. What a small world. I just got off the phone with Allan.”

  Frowning, I ask, “Wait, Allan Eriksson?”

  “Oh brother. Here I am, blabbering away without introducing myself. I’m Richard Simpson, producer at Red Wire Network.”

  “You’re a TV producer?” Liv asks.

  “Yup. Anyway, I’m producing a new show set in college and we’d like to use a new song written by Wreck of the Day as the main theme. That could potentially mean regular cameos on the show as well.”

  “That’d be amazing,” Liv says.

  “I understand that the lead singer is still recovering from surgery, but we have time.” Richard gets comfortable on the chaise lounge next to mine, but I wish he would just move along. He sounds like a nice guy, but I didn’t bring Liv to Cabo to talk shop. She needs to unwind.

  Richard’s companion joins us. “I see you’ve already made friends, Dick. Hi, I’m Antoine, Richard’s partner.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Liv says.

  “I’m sure he already apologized for our kids’ awful behavior, but sorry again.”

  “They’re fine.” Liv waves her hand dismissively. “How old are they?”

  “Eight and ten.” Antoine looks at me and frowns. “Hey, weren’t you in a boy band?”

  “Yes,” Richard answers for me. “He’s Sebastian Coleman. He used to be in the same band as Oliver.”

  “Ah, no way. Small world. Shit, are we interrupting your honeymoon?”

  Liv laughs. “No. We got married last year.”

  “But this is sort of like a second honeymoon.” I lace my hand with Liv’s, trying to clue the guys in that they are indeed interrupting.

  “Oh, maybe second honeymoon before baby?” Antoine says with a cheeky smile.

  I freeze, then glance at Liv. She’s frowning a little, but I can’t read her expression while she has sunglasses on. I’d thought about kids even before we got married, but then our lives got complicated. Liv became obsessed with work, and I didn’t know what to do with my life after Boys Future.

  Having her
here with me, relaxed for the first time in months, gives me hope that we can fix whatever is broken in our relationship. Maybe it’s too soon to start thinking about a baby, but the idea takes root just the same.

  Eight

  LIV

  “Would you like to look at the dessert menu?” the waiter asks us.

  I peer at Sebastian from across the table. He’s looking at me with bedroom eyes, making me remember how he woke me from our afternoon nap. I clench my thighs together as a light throb starts between my legs. He smiles at me, as if guessing what’s on my mind, before taking a sip of his red wine.

  “No. I think we’re good,” I say, unable to disguise how filled with need my voice sounds.

  “Can we have the bill, please?” Sebastian says without taking his eyes off me.

  “Right away, sir.” The waiter nods before leaving us alone.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.

  “I’m just admiring my gorgeous wife. Is that a crime?”

  I smile before drinking the last sip of wine from my glass. “Nope.”

  Once Sebastian pays the bill, I expect him to veer back toward the main building where our room is, but instead, he tugs me in the opposite direction.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Let’s go for a walk.”

  We head toward the private beach where some kind of bonfire party is going on. Musicians are playing guitars and singing, and all around the fire people are dancing without a care in the world. Sebastian pulls me into his arms, and together we join the fray. We twirl and laugh, dancing to an unfamiliar melody but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is the moment and us. I had almost forgotten that complete happiness feels like I’m floating on air. I’m as free as the wind, and this is not the wine talking. As I look into Sebastian’s ecstatic face, my heart beats so fast I’m afraid it’s going to explode. I’m drunk in love.

  Looking into his eyes, I say, “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He brings his lips to mine, kissing me so sweetly, it reminds of the first one we shared.