Page 53 of Secrets & Desires
“That’s the middle of the Pacific Ocean, doofus, spinagain.”
“Darn it.” She repeated her process, but before she could open her eyes to see where she had landed this time, Nox turned her and spun the globe around. “I didn’t see where I landed,” she complained to him but he justsmiled.
“I know…I’m going to leave it as a surprise until the day. Can you get the timeoffwork?”
She nodded. “Marcel closes for five days over Christmas, but he’ll need me back for NewYear’sEve.”
“Understandable. I’ll be partying at your place that night too.” They wandered slowly to the kitchen, hand-in-hand, and Nox pulled open the refrigerator. “Pasta?”
“That’s good.” Livia sat on the tallest stool and watched him prepare their meal. “So, yeah…you’re really not going to tell me where we’regoing?”
“For as long as I can keep it secret. We’ll use my private jet…yes, we will, just this once,” he shot her a glare. “I know, the environment, yadda, yadda, but this will be the last time. I’m selling it afterward, so allow me this one last play with myboytoy.”
Livia grinned. “I like playing with yourboytoy.”
“Rudegirl.”
“You’re really selling it?” Livia was impressed. Nox grinnedruefully.
“Your guilt-tripping worked, Enviro-woman.”
Livia snorted with laughter. “Seriously the dullest soundingsuperheroname.”
“Isn’t it?” Nox dumped some onion and garlic into a pan, and chopped someherbs.
“Where did you learn to cook, Renaud?” Livia reached over to steal a piece of Parmesan cheese, grinning when Nox batted herhandaway.
“Mom. Italian,yousee?”
“Did you ever spend a lot of time inItaly?”
Nox nodded as he expertly skinned some tomatoes. “Long summer vacations. The heat is intense, drier than here, but still. Dad owned some olive groves and vineyards, which we spent hours in, picking fruit. We stayed in rustic villas and drank wine with every meal, and it was heaven.Simplelife.”
Livia tugged on a lock of his hair gently. “You sound as if you want togoback.”
“I haven’t been since my parents died. I was waiting for you to come along. I can see us spending summers like that, making love and walking around the hills of Tuscany. Florence is beautiful. Or watching our kids run and play.” He stopped and gave a little laugh. “Doesn’t it seem surreal to you that we’ve only known each other this short time and yet, we’re talking about kids and thefuture?”
Livia successfully stole another piece of cheese. Popping it into her mouth, she grinned. “I think it’s what happens in all relationships. Right now, I can’t imagine doing that withanyoneelse.”
He kissed her, brushing her lips with his. “Meeither.”
They ate together then shareda long soak in the tub. Livia leaned back against his chest as he traced patterns with the soap bubbles along herbody. “Nox?”
“Yeah,babe?”
“Do you think we’re co-dependent?”
Nox looked askance. “No, whatthehell?”
“Just somethingMorikosaid.”
Nox was silent for a while. “She doesn’tlikeme.”
“She does,” Livia sat up and turned to face him. “She does, she just thinks…with all that’s going on, that…god, Idon’tknow.”
He cupped her face in his hand. “This is really worrying you,right?”
She nodded. “We didn’t leave things in the best place but I don’t know how to fix it. She wants me to break up with you and there’s no way that’shappening.”
