Page 65 of Heiress Billionaire

“I’ll meet you there.” I growl, too drunk to know what to do next, and too fucking proud to take it all back. And maybe if I was sober, I would have taken it back, wouldn’t have said it at all. But I did, and now I think I fucking screwed everything up, and not in the way I wanted to.

Chapter Twenty Two:Espie

It’s beentwo months since we first arrived in Russia with the hope that Vince would get us out of here within a couple of weeks. He hasn’t. In fact, I still am not being told what progress he has even made on getting me out of this deal as he promised.

I wish I could say that Adrik and I are not on speaking terms. That we live separate lives, and he never bothers me. Not after our big fight on his balcony the night after our lock-in. I was so cross with him for so many days after that. I could barely speak to him without shuddering, remembering his harsh words to me. It’s hard to tell if it was really the words, or the connotation they presented. But here I was, thinking we were becoming something more than just enemies, and then he throws it back in my face like I’m the crazy one for even insinuating it.

It was horrible between us, and thus the whole house suffered. Olive tried to get me to open up about the entire ordeal, but I just offered half answers, mostly lies and implying lies.

I really didn’t think it would get any better with him and me, honestly, I thought it would get worse. But he did this,thing… this stupid and sweet thing that confused and elated me all at once.

“Espie.” Hands were shaking me, a deep voice greeting me in the cold darkness of my bedroom. I nearly smacked heads with him, sitting up so fast. There he was, in my bedroom, Olive fast asleep next to me, and I could have hit him. He spent days before that, ignoring me, avoiding every room I walked into, and I honestly resolved that it was good– him ignoring me. I was hoping it meant that he’d just leave me be, and I could move on from being so utterly attracted to someone so horribly awful to me more than half the time.

I was about to say something like this, tell him to leave my room and stop bothering me and then I caught a glimpse of that look in his eye. The one that meant he was the good guy today– the one that was mostly kind to me. The one I got along with better than I'd cared to admit up until then.

“Come with me?” He said it like a question, not an order, but my body responded like it was. I slid out of bed, grabbing my thick knit, sage cardigan off the bed post and walked with him through the maze that is the safe-house. Endlessly trekking until we reached this room with stone walls and a metal ladder straight to the ceiling in the center of it.

“After you?” He motioned to it, that grin he has when he’s hiding something big, curling up the corners of his pouty lips. I had missed that grin, and I hated admitting it to myself, but I had. The days after our fight, his lips were reserved for brooding and smoking. That was the only time he was around me– to smoke. I should have hated him, but I couldn't and that scared me.

I climbed the ladder upon his notion and he held me steady as I climbed, following close behind until we reached the ceiling and then he reached past me. He smelt incredible, warm and woody. I held my breath so I didn't make a comment about it as his nimble fingers unlocked the latch on the door. He pushed it up with one hand and it flew open, streaming in barely-risen sunlight from above.

The smell hit me before the surprise did, but the second I took a couple more steps up, I gasped. Covering the entirety of the roof were wildflowers– my favorite. I had told Adrik about how flowers should always be wild because those are the most beautiful– the free ones. It was in the center of a tangent and I had no idea that he had even been listening to me. This is the moment I realized he may be actually paying attention to what I say, at least to the important things somehow.

As I fully stepped up to the roof, I saw the brown and cream flannel picnic blanket, laying out in a way that positioned it to face the mountains. On top of it was a picnic basket, and art supplies among a soft white blanket to keep us warm.

I walked over to it, Adrik silently followed close behind and I didn’t know what to say. It was beautiful, thoughtful, and kind. But how could I say that? His hand was on my back, helping me sit down, and wrapping a blanket around me before I could process any real words besides “wow”.

“Do you like it?” he asked, pulling out the most amazing smelling food and then I realized why it was so amazing. It was my favorite breakfast— Italian breakfast sandwich,Panino Con la Mortadella— and hot Brazilian coffee.

“This is more than I expected.”

He got a half-sad sort of grin before nodding. “Yes, but I'm afraid it’s far less than you deserve.” I caught my breath on that one, it was shocking to hear him say something like that, especially after icing me out for so long. We stared into each other's eyes for a little too long, for people who hated each other. But I didn't know how I actually felt about him, though it was beginning to be less like a nightmare, and more like a dream. Surely, this was just another one of his games, though I wasn't sure because of the look of sincerity in his marble blue eyes.

“Espie, what I said to you that night on the balcony...” I shook my head, not wanting to relive it but he grabbed my hand and squeezed it, causing my words to retreat. “It was wrong, I was wrong. And I’m so sorry.” he said this like it could break me and I needed it gently delivered.

Although, I don't think any form of delivery could have prepared me for the shock of his words. They were meaningful to me, not just because I thought he was far too prideful to ever say them, but because of how serious the weight of them felt. I swallowed a lump in my throat that had formed without me even knowing, and then I nodded gently.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry I threw your bottle over the balcony.” he chuckled, shaking his head and grabbing me a sandwich.

“Don’t ever apologize for putting me in my place. Not when you do it so well.” He handed me my sandwich with a twinkle in his eyes that the sunrise must have conjured. I think I blushed– hope I didn't, but I'm sure I did when I took the sandwich. We ate quietly for a bit, watching the sunrise peak and lift over the tips of the jagged mountains.

We like sunrises, the both of us. That’s the first time we ever really agreed on something. It made me wonder if we had more in common than just our ability to get into explosive fights with each other. So, when we finished breakfast, we played a game.

“I’ll ask you anything and you have to answer it honestly.” I said like a demand, and he licked his bottom lip, mouth parted slightly. It was so hot, I had to ignore my leaping heart to focus on his answer.

“Alright, I'm in.” He agreed and we were off, drawing and messing around with art supplies while we confessed things about ourselves, finding even more common ground than I would have thought we had.

“So, you like sunrises?” I used up my answer to confirm what I already knew, just to hear his reasoning, see if it’s similar to mine.

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“Yeah, of course. But they have to be somewhere beautiful. An escape to the sky.” He added with a grin that still makes my heart jump to think about. He might be horrible half the time, but the man is gorgeous, and I won’t deny it out of pride.

“Of course,we can’t have city smog and towering buildings blocking the view.”

“No, definitely not.” He agreed, those blue eyes as bright as ever, filled with something magnetic. They must be, because I was drawn into him instantly. And before I realized it we were tangled up again in the same blanket, staring into each others eyes with longing. He leaned in first, but I can’t accuse him of taking the lead when we both fell into each other. Our lips searched with longing for one another like just one collision wasn't enough and I grasped onto him like he was a life vest and I had just been thrown out in the center of a stormy sea.

He kissed down my body as he undid each button of my pajama top, continuing down to my hips, kissing both of them with fervency, before grabbing the hem of my bottoms. I gasped– shocked, elated and absolutely lustfully driven to the point of insanity. Whatever he wanted to give me, I was ready for, and I needed it because I needed him. And I would have never said that then, but I remember the feeling I couldn't put words to as he pulled off my pajama pants completely.

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