Natalie walked past Angela as she focused on Olivia, her tone and expression serious. "You and I need to talk."
"If you're here to fight, I suggest you turn around and leave," said Olivia, narrowing her eyes at Natalie.
"That's the last thing on my mind," said Natalie, rolling her eyes as she offered herself a seat and crossed her legs. She then looked behind her at Angela and sighed. "Do you mind?"
"Don't speak to Angela that way," said Olivia.
"It's alright, Ma'am," said Angela. "Just call for help if you need me."
With a scoff, Natalie fixed her eyes on Angela until she was out of sight.
Not yet certain of what Natalie's true intentions were, Olivia crossed her arms with an inquisitive gaze after she sat down. "Ethan's not here."
"He's not the reason I'm here. I came to talk to you ... about him and what happened."
"Look, just so you don't misunderstand, I didn't know you were in the middle of your wedding ceremony, neither did Angela."
"I know."
"You do?" asked Olivia, Natalie's calm demeanor not what she expected.
Natalie admitted that she initially blamed Olivia but her father opened her eyes to the truth. Thanks to having him by her side, she had a lot to think about. She should've given up a long time ago but couldn't since she desired the perfect life with Ethan so she held onto him.
Not yet fully convinced that Natalie was in her right mind, Olivia asked if she had something to drink on her way to the apartment. She had once witnessed just how crazy Natalie could be when infuriated and seeing her so calm just didn't feel right.
Natalie chuckled softly as she assured Olivia that she was in her right mind.
About to express her next words deep from her heart, she intertwined her fingers to compose herself.
"As Ethan and I stood at that altar, I thought that was it and I would finally have him all to myself despite all I had witnessed between you two. I remember that day when he couldn't take his eyes off of you at the restaurant. It really infuriated me but afterwards, I was certain it would all be alright because I would still become his wife. It was almost the case until that phone rang. When he left me there, I knew where his heart was. It was with you."
"Natalie-"
"I'm not finished," Natalie chuckled forcefully. "I guess I just couldn't stand the humiliation so I hoped everything would work out even after he left me at the altar, only for him to make it clear to me that he would never marry me. I was aware that I had lost but I still hoped to change his mind. I should have given up much earlier."
"You'll have to forgive me but part of me still finds it hard to believe that you just suddenly accepted what happened."
"It wasn't sudden. I had time to think. I have no place in his heart, you do and I can't compete with that no matter how hard I try. That's why I've walked away."
"Does Ethan know you're here?" asked Olivia.
"No, but I knew he wasn't here."
"How did y-"
"Pete told me."
"Oh...Pete.."
Since Natalie had gotten that off her chest, she sighed with relief. "I'm glad I told you all this face-to-face before I left the country. I need to get away from this place."
"It was the last thing I expected from you."
"So...are you two back together?" Natalie asked, slightly raising her eyebrows.
"Well..."
"You don't have to lie. I can handle it."
"Yes, we are."
"I see. There's something important you should know. Ethan never touched me."
Olivia furrowed her eyebrows, unable to speak for a while as she processed what she had just heard. "No, you can't be serious."
"I am. He never touched me."
"How come?" Olivia leaned forward.
"Believe me when I say I tried to make it happen. I seduced him several times but it was all for nothing. He showed me he had no desire to make love to me and it used to eat me up inside every time."
Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "How could that be the truth? Angela once told me about how you would parade yourself in his shirt in the morning after spending the night together."
"Angela's such a gossip. Yes, I would wear nothing but his shirt in the morning but it was just so I could feel better about being rejected the previous night."
As Natalie described how horrible she felt whenever he decided to sleep on the couch and leave the bed for her, she noticed how shocked Olivia was and that she seemed not to pay attention. It was only when she nudged Olivia on the shoulder to get her attention that she looked at her again.
Olivia couldn't hide her shock since she was aware of Ethan's sex drive. From the moment they had their first night of intimacy, she remembered just how he had always desired more and could never get enough.
When Natalie was ready to leave, she got closer to Olivia and suddenly hugged her, wishing her good luck with the baby, another unexpected move.
Once Natalie was gone, Angela returned since she had heard the door close.
"Ma'am, forgive me but I have to admit that I wasn't too comfortable with her being here. I was ready to defend you had the situation turned crazy! Ma'am? Are you alright?"
Olivia flinched when Angela waved her hand in her face to pay attention. She couldn't stop thinking about how the two of them had never been intimate all because of how Ethan had no desire to do so.
~
When Ethan returned just after sunset, the first thing he did before Olivia could even say a word when he found her alone in the kitchen was wrap his arms around her and kiss her.
As they pulled away from each other's lips, she held onto his necktie with a sigh and it was then that he noticed she seemed troubled.
"Is there something on your mind?" he asked.
"Natalie was here."
"What?" His expression turned to one of concern as he checked her for bruises. "Did she hurt you?"
She chuckled, finding his recent reactions to whenever there was anything that could possibly stress her heartwarming.
She asked him to calm down as nothing bad had happened. She then explained to him all that Natalie had said to her and in the same way, he found it hard to believe.
"She also told me that you two were never intimate."
He sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist as he looked down at her. "I'm guessing you found it hard to believe."
"Yes and it's because I know you. I remember how it was when we were still married so to hear how you rejected Natalie came as a shock to me."
He assured her that it was the truth and Natalie just didn't appeal to her since he was usually irritated by her presence. As soon as he mentioned how his mother had arranged for that marriage, he trailed off, wondering if it was right to address Ms Hudson that way after all that had happened.
When Olivia gently placed her hand on his chest to comfort him, he sighed. "Anyway, my point is that I was still attracted to you during my time with Natalie. All I wanted was you." He brushed the back of his hand against her neck.
"The first time I sensed it was when we met at that restaurant again."
"And I'm sorry," he said.
"For what?"
"For only seeing you as a way to satisfy myself. You were always more than that and now I see it."
"How are you the same jerk f-"
"I love you."
Words escaped her as she processed whether or not she had just heard him correctly.
"Yes, I love you," he repeated.
As she heard it the second time, her heart started racing as her lips curved into a smile. Right when she was about to speak, he leaned in for a passionate kiss and instantly lifted her and placed her on the kitchen counter again just like the other time.
With only an oversized shirt this time, he had more access to her and she moaned softly as he ran his hands up her thighs, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer.
Their mouths moved in perfect sync, their tongues dancing together in a sensual embrace. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies with a desperate need.
Soon enough, she could feel the hardness in his pants poke her exposed thigh and she wished to feel it between her legs. She hungrily unbuttoned his jacket to feel his chest more and he raised her oversized shirt higher to feel her waist.
As the passionate desire for each other reached its climax, after stopping themselves the past few days, they were certain at that moment that nothing would stand in their way of finally being in each other's arms.
Suddenly, Ethan's phone started to ring, momentarily breaking their kiss. He tried to ignore it as he unbuckled his belt so he could take off her panties but it only continued to ring.
"Maybe you should really get that," she said, slowly moving her hand towards his bulge.
"No, maybe later," he said, holding onto the hem of her underwear so he could take it off.
Despite how she was only seconds away from seeing her underwear on the floor, she asked him to answer the call since it could've been important.
When he thought of that possibility, he decided to check as he took a step back from her. As soon as he checked the caller ID, his forehead creased. It was an important call from one of the people he had spoken to from the family he wished to partner with.
As Olivia listened to the conversation, she heard that they wished to meet him right away. Putting her desires aside, she mouthed that he needed to go as soon as possible. She knew how hard he had been working to get to that point.
After the call, they kissed a few more times with heavy breathing, hoping nothing would stop them when he would return. Even though she desired to kiss him longer, she pulled away, encouraging him to hurry and change his clothes.
Just then, they heard Angela's footsteps and he helped Olivia off the counter. It was at that moment that they realized they had almost gone all the way right in the kitchen where Angela could've shown up at any moment.
~
As Ethan drove along the road, on his way to meet his potential business partners, he wrapped his hands tighter around the steering wheel. The thought of how he was just seconds away from taking off Olivia's underwear right on the kitchen counter ran through his mind.
Despite how sexual his mind was at that moment, he was equally grateful that she encouraged him to check his phone and leave to meet them, when she could've just taken his phone and thrown it across the room so they could continue.
When he met with his potential business partners, it was so they could get to know him better but for most of his time with them, he found himself thinking about Olivia and the night that was to come for both of them.
~
As Olivia waited for Ethan to return, her hormones were at their peak and that night, she needed him more than ever.
When he had left three hours earlier, she had entered the bathroom to wash away all the wetness that had accumulated between her legs.
After hearing nothing from him from the time he had left, she assumed he wouldn't return so she headed to bed and turned off the light.
Just then, someone knocked on her door and she took a deep breath, nervousness taking over her despite waiting for him. She held onto the doorknob and sighed to compose herself.
As soon as she opened the door, she rolled her eyes with a loud grunt. "Oh, Angela, it's just you."
Angela gasped with a hand on her chest. "Are you not happy to see me? Did I do something wrong?"
"No." Olivia crossed her arms.
"I just came to ask if you needed anything before I go to bed."
"I had already gone to bed."
"In that case, have a goodnight, Ma'am."
"Yeah."
For the next thirty minutes, Olivia tried to fall asleep but just couldn't. She wondered whether or not Ethan would return. She avoided calling him to ask as she felt he would've thought she was that much in need of his touch.
Just then, she heard heavier footsteps in the hallway that sounded nothing like Angela's.
In her silky nightgown, she instantly got off the bed and approached the door, then stopped in her tracks when she heard a sound that only played when Ethan would shut down his phone.