“Have a good day, gorgeous,” Alexander murmured softly into her ear, trailing kisses across her face and down her neck.

Olivia moaned in response.

She felt him smile against her body. “Keep making those sounds and I’ll make you late for your first spa treatment.”

Her breathing increased. “Good. I want you to make me late.”

Groaning, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Okay. We’ll make it quick then.” He carried her up the stairs to the bedroom, quickly ridding her of her clothes and sliding into her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later, Olivia returned to the penthouse from her spa outing with Kiera, feeling fully refreshed after a massage, manicure, and pedicure, as well as having her hair styled and make-up professionally applied. She was nervous enough about that evening as it was. She wasn’t going to leave anything to chance, and that included making sure she looked perfect.

Alexander heard the door open as he sat at the kitchen island, enjoying a glass of scotch before changing into his tuxedo for the evening. He turned, his jaw dropping. Olivia stood in front of him, her hair and makeup done for the evening. She looked amazing even in her jeans and cardigan. She never wore a lot of makeup so this was an entirely different look altogether.

He stared into her deep, dark eyes that had taken on a smoky quality, making them look even bigger than they normally were. She smiled, causing her cheekbones to look more pronounced and Alexander noticed a hint of blush, helping to define her high cheeks. His eyes stopped when he saw her lips. They were deep, vibrant red. The combination of her olive skin, dark hair expertly curled and pinned loosely to the side of her nape, and dark eyes made those red lips stand out even more.

“Olivia,” he said breathlessly. “You look amazing.” Alexander blinked repeatedly, trying to calm his growing erection.

“Just wait until you see me in my dress, darling.” Olivia winked. “I’ll be back soon.” She made her way into one of the large guest bedrooms where she had hidden her dress the day before. She walked into the closet and reached for the Victoria’s Secret bag, thankful that Kiera had convinced her that some new lingerie was in order for the special occasion. The dress was cut in such a way that she couldn’t wear a bra, but she didn’t think Alexander would mind.

She pulled on a red lacy thong and matching garter belt before sitting on a dressing chair to put on her thigh-high stockings, clipping them to the belt. She grew excited thinking about Alexander’s expression when he took her dress off her later that evening. And he most certainly would be doing that. Olivia was sure of it.

She unzipped her garment bag and stepped into the gown. Standing back, she looked into the mirror on the wall, hardly recognizing the woman that stood in front of her. She never had a reason to buy a formal dress before. In high school, her uncle forbid her from going to the prom. In fact, she was surprised her uncle let her participate in any extracurricular activities. Anything one-on-one seemed to be rather off-limits. Group activities were generally okay. Prom was a big fat no. She thought about all the normal high school milestones she missed out on because her uncle thought he needed to protect her.

Olivia wished she had known him better, but she didn’t. He was more an authority figure that she had to deal with when she needed something. There was no closeness with him. Still, he was her world. After her parents died, he was the only family she had.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she finished getting ready by putting on a pair of ruby drop earrings that matched perfectly with her multi-strand necklace of gold with ruby accents. She stepped into her champagne stilettos and gingerly walked up the stairs, holding her clutch and wrap, both the same shade of red.

Alexander was standing at the kitchen island dressed in his tuxedo when he heard Olivia walk up the steps. His heart beat madly, anxious to see how she looked. Turning in the direction of the stairs, he beheld the vision standing in front of him. His mouth dropped, unable to form any words.

Olivia smiled as she sauntered up to him. “The great Alexander Burnham, speechless? I’m shocked.” Olivia leaned in, breathing those words on his collar. She could tell he was incredibly aroused at that moment. His tuxedo pants did not do a good job at hiding it. He grabbed her hand and held her at arm’s length, admiring her dress before spinning her and pulling her back into his chest, holding her in an intimate embrace.

“You look amazing, love.”

“As do you, love,” Olivia smirked, gazing at him in his tuxedo. He always looked great in a suit, but his tuxedo took it to a whole new level. Whomever said a suit is like lingerie for men was absolutely right. Something about Alexander all dressed up turned Olivia on more than she could remember.

“Champagne?” Alexander asked, grabbing a bottle from the wine chiller.

“Yes, please.”

He expertly popped the cork, the vapor flowing out of the bottle.

“I love that sound,” Olivia said, watching as he poured her a glass, handing it to her.

“It’s a close second for me,” Alexander said, a smile on his face.

“To what?”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her body flush with his once more. “The sound of your laughter, of course. When we were apart, I missed that beautiful melody more than life itself.” He leaned down, kissing her neck, inhaling her scent.

His words made Olivia’s heart race. She loved how sweet he could be at times.

“Come.” He grabbed her hand and led her past the couch to the windows in the living room. Smiling, he opened a glass door that Olivia had never noticed before. Stepping out onto the large expansive balcony, she gasped at the amazing view. Despite it being a chilly March evening, the fire pit and heating lanterns kept them warm as they stood admiring the city down below, drinking their champagne.

“What a view,” Olivia muttered, looking over the waterfront, the sun setting behind the building painting the sky in a pink hue as a gentle breeze blew through the air.

“Yeah, isn’t it? I remember growing up, coming to visit my older sister. She would always take me to Kelly’s on Revere Beach where we would watch the planes landing at Logan,” Alexander said quietly, his eyes trained on the runway in the distance. “I always thought about how nice it would be to be able to fly away just like those airplanes. After that, I always loved being near airports, watching people coming and going. Whenever I was sad or upset, I always reminded myself that it was possible to get away. So when I found this place and I was able to watch the lights of the airport in the distance, I had to have it.”