I held on tightly, my feet propped up on walls and edges as my hands clung to anything I could hold on to, my orgasm giving way to shock as electricity and fire sent me on a roller-coaster ride I couldn’t control.
Then, I felt Brett chuckling against my lips.
“What?” I murmured.
He pulled back, his nose nuzzling against mine as our intermingled arousal dripped from between my legs.
“What’s so funny?” I asked breathlessly.
Brett cupped the back of my head and pulled my forehead to his lips to kiss.
“Well, if they didn’t know we were in here, they do now,” he said.
28
Brett
As I stood at the bathroom door and listened to Olivia wretch in the toilet, I grew worried. We’d been in Amsterdam for a couple of days, and things had gone off without a hitch. We were able to take a nap together in our luxurious riverside hotel suite before exploring the city on Saturday. The next day had been filled with meetings that finally panned out. I got both of my connections from London and Paris on a video conference at the same time. I was able to brief both of them at once being closer to the same time schedule. That, and I wasn’t too far away from getting to either of them if I needed to. I was able to finally confirm support from London, saying that I had a spot in their economy should I choose to set up my headquarters in their city. Of course, Paris had a few things to say about that. But that led to me booking trips to both London and Paris while Olivia and I were out and about on our trip anyway.
She had taken everything in stride as well.
Until that point.
“Olivia?” I asked.
“Sorry. Just… hold on,” she said.
I heard her throw up again into the toilet as I jiggled the doorknob.
“I’m coming in there if you don’t let me in,” I said.
I heard the toilet flush before the sink turned on. I figured she was probably brushing her teeth, but I was still worried about her. If she had been feeling sick before this trip, then she needed to tell me. Even though it was only a quick flight to London, that flight was happening the next day. I didn’t want her to be sick on our puddle-jumper flights. It would make her time in Europe miserable, and that wasn’t what I wanted at all.
I wanted her to have a good time exploring those places, with me at her side.
The door swung open, and I pulled Olivia into my arms. I held her close, feeling her weak arms wrapping around me. I guided her to the bed we had been sharing and sat us both down, pulling her into my lap. I still smelled the stale stench of vomit on her. I smoothed her hair back, running my fingers through it as I kissed her forehead.
“Do you think you ate something bad? We can get you to a doctor,” I said.
“No doctors,” she said weakly.
“But we’ve got some flights coming up in the next few days. I confirmed our meetings in both London and Paris. Being sick on those flights isn’t going to help things.”
“No doctors,” she said again.
“If it’s something we can medicate, we have to try. Okay? I need you in tip-top shape for these meetings. I know this isn’t how you saw this trip panning out, but you’re not just a woman I wanted to whisk away, Olive. You’re someone who’s helping me on one of the greatest ventures my company will undertake. I need you well.”
She pulled away from my grasp and stood. I reached out for her, but she pulled away, almost as if she was disgusted at my touch. She folded her arms over her chest, and I studied her. The way she wouldn’t look at me. The way she kept putting distance between us.
“What is it?” I asked.
“There’s something I have to tell you, and I have no idea where to start,” Olivia said.
I stood to my feet. “You can tell me anything. If there’s something I need to know regarding your health on this trip, then I need to know. I would have made arrangements. I would have made sure someone was on this trip who could have monitored your condition.”
“My condition.” She snickered.
“Yes. Your condition. Whatever that is.”
“I’m sorry, Brett.”
“Sorry for what, Olive?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner that I’m pregnant.”
“I’m sorry—what did you say?” I asked.
She turned to me with tears in her eyes, and I felt my world slowly caving in on me.
“I’m sick because I’m pregnant, Brett.”
I stopped breathing. The world stopped turning. My vision tunneled, and the only thing I saw was her, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. My eyes fell to her stomach. I felt my head fall off to the side. Slowly, everything dropped into place. The pallor of her skin. The worry in her eyes. The throwing up. The lack of caffeine. The “no wine” kick she was on.