Page 85 of His To Unravel
As the night deepens, I find myself restless, caught in a quiet loop of attending to Olivia.
I can’t help it.
I adjust her pillows twice, smoothing them beneath her head with deliberate care. When she shifts, I pull the blanket higher over her shoulders, then pause, considering if another layer would make her warmer. I order extra blankets anyway. The room feelsperfectly temperate, but I still ask if she’s cold, my hand brushing over her arm to gauge it for myself.
“You fuss too much,” she teases, sweeping her hair over one shoulder. “Relax, Nate.”
I smile, but I know I will never stop hovering. There’s something calming in the ritual of it—in ensuring that everything she touches, everything around her, conforms to her comfort. I’m not just tending to her. I’m embedding myself into every part of her night, leaving no space untouched by my attention.
“I need to know you’re taken care of,” I reply, though the weight of the words presses heavier than I intend. If she notices, she says nothing, only settling deeper into the sheets.
She lets out a soft sigh, turning to me with a small smile. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she says, her voice quiet but sincere. Her gaze drifts to the window, where the skyline shimmers beyond the glass. “The hotel is so beautiful. I can’t believe we’re staying here.”
I shrug casually, but I mean every word I say next. “If you like it, I can arrange for us to stay here whenever you want.”
Olivia stares at me for a long moment, her gaze steady, as if weighing something in her mind. I wait, letting the silence stretch between us before my curiosity gets the better of me.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” I ask softly, leaning closer.
Her expression shifts, growing more serious. “I just… I want you to know something, Nathaniel. I appreciate everything you’ve done. The hotel, the flowers, all of this. But I need you to understand—I’m not here because of the trappings that come with dating a Caldwell. I’m here foryou.”
Her words settle over me like a balm. “I know that, Olivia.” I smile at her indulgently, brushing her hair from her face. “But it doesn’t stop me from wanting to give it all to you anyway.”
She softens at that, leaning into my touch. “I don’t want tojust take from you all the time. I want to be able to give you something too.”
I pause intentionally, then tilt my head. “If you really want to thank me…there is something that you can give me right now.”
Her brow lifts slightly, but her eyes remain serious. “What is it?”
I brush my thumb over her lower lip, my voice dipping. “Kiss me.”
She leans in, her lips brushing softly against mine—hesitant at first, testing, as if she isn’t sure how far to go. I let her lead, sensing the tension beneath her stillness, but it isn’t long before I pull her closer, deepening the kiss with deliberate slowness.
Her breath hitches as my fingers tangle in her hair, tilting her head to angle her lips more perfectly against mine.
The kiss unfurls, growing in intensity like a slow flame coaxed to life. I feel her relax into me, her body softening, pliant beneath the pressure of my hand resting at the curve of her waist.
When she presses further into me, her hands sliding up to rest lightly against my chest, I break the kiss only long enough to catch her gaze. Her eyes are heavy, pupils blown wide with desire. The way she’s looking at me sends heat straight to my dick.
I let my lips trail along the edge of her jaw, sucking just beneath her ear. “I could kiss you forever,” I murmur, the words more for myself than for her.
Kissing Olivia ignites something feral that coils low and tight, but I force myself to push it down even as an erection strains in my pants. The need to pull her beneath me, to push further, claws at the edges of my restraint. This heat between us is familiar, but tonight isn’t about that.
Instead, I tuck her against my side, pulling the blankets back over her shoulders. I’ve had her before, and I will have her again. For now, I’m content to hold her close and let the night settle around us.
TWENTY-FOUR
olivia
The air feels thinnerthis high up, as if the city has been stretched beneath us and left suspended in silence.
Nathaniel has somehow arranged for the Empire State Building’s observation deck to be closed for a private sunrise viewing, just the two of us. It’s absurd, over-the-top, and exactly what I’ve come to expect. Nathaniel doesn’t deal in half-measures, and when it comes to indulging me, he’s unstoppable. Just when I think I’ve seen the most extravagant gesture, he finds new ways to surprise me—like he’s testing how far I’ll let him go before I finally push back.
Nathaniel leads me out of the elevator and into the open space. It’s still dark, but the horizon has begun to bleed pale gold into the navy sky, brushing light along the rooftops.
I drift toward the railing, my fingers curling against the cool metal as I look out over Manhattan. The wind tugs at the edges of my coat, but Nathaniel is there, as always. His hand rests gently on my back, the touch grounding but unobtrusive, reminding me I’m not alone up here.
For a long time, neither of us speaks.
