Liesl woke to the sound of Isaias grumbling furiously on his phone sitting on the end of the bed.She lifted her own to look at the time and flopped back down and pulled a pillow over her head.
“It’s not even six,Isaias,”she muttered into the mattress as she heard him end his call.
“I have to take a flight to Singapore.”
“What?”she sat up.“Singapore?”
“Why?Is everything okay?”
“Yes.It will be.”He ran his fingers through his hair.“Want to come?”
She stared at him incredulously.“And do what exactly?”
“Keep me company.It’s a long flight.I’m sure we can find things to do and then when I’m working you can play tourist.”
“Alone?”She made a face.“I have my own work to do here Isaias and lately your days have been fifteen and sixteen hours long.I don’t want to sit in a foreign country to watch you work while I twiddle my thumbs.How long will you be gone?”
“Five,six days,a week at most.”
She moaned and rolled out of the bed.“You should get packing then.”
“I wish you’d come.”
“Isaias,I can’t just drop everything to follow you.I have work too.I know my job isn’t on the same level as yours as a billionaire mogul but its important to me.”She knew she sounded snippy,but she was tired and cranky.
“Your work is as important as mine.The cost of the project doesn’t define it’s worth Liesl.I know you need to work.I’m being selfish.I miss you.”
His words struck her,and she paused,“you see me every day.”
“I know.It’s not enough,”he grunted.“I’m working too much and last night,after you fell asleep,I lay there watching and you.It’s dawned on me how even though we’re living together and under the same roof,the only time I see you is when I’m heading out the door or taking you to bed to make love.I miss having dinner with you and I miss going dancing with you.Taking over McGrath has taken its toll on our personal life.I love knowing I vindicated my mom’s broken heart,but the cost is high.It’s taking me away from you and I don’t like it.I was hoping to wrap this shit up this week and now I have to fly to fucking Singapore.I don’t want to go.”
She blinked at his comment.“You don’t want to go?”
“No.I don’t.I don’t want to go.For the first time in my life,I have a reason to be home and I want to be home.I love coming home to you.I love knowing you are here or will be here.I tried to send my VP of operations but the conglomerate I’m working with for the Singapore location is insisting I go personally to deal with this contract issue.It’s a three-billion-dollar deal.I can’t walk away from it but fuck me if I don’t want to.”
She walked around the bed and kneeled in front of him,cupping his cheeks in her hands.“Can I tell you a secret?”
“I don’t want you to go either.”She gave a sad smile.“I thought it was me being needy wanting you around more.I’m trying to be supportive and understanding.I mean I’ve lived with a busy developer before and you are infinitely more successful than he ever was.He hustled day and night,so I expect you to do even more than he ever did but Isaias,I find myself far lonelier when you’re not here than I ever was in the past.I don’t like eating or sleeping alone anymore.Heck,I don’t even like showering alone anymore.”He smiled at her words,“I want to be the best partner you have but the selfish woman in me,wants to lock you in this room,handcuff you to the bed and tell you you’re not allowed to go.”
“Can we add handcuffs to our list of things to do?”he said teasingly.
“Yes.”
“Good,because when I get back,we’re going to use the paint thing and then we’re using handcuffs and I bought a giant bottle of lube to do the ass play you keep chickening out of.”
She giggled as he drew her from her knees to sit on his lap.
“Can you do a favor for me,love?”
She nodded as he stared into her eyes.
“Plan a vacation for us.No dates or anything but if you find yourself bored and lonely can you look through some resorts,preferably ones with private villas with tons of blue water,white sand,and no people.I want you to myself for a bit.Can you find us a secluded getaway?”
She nodded as her chest warmed with his soft-spoken words,“I will see what I can do.”
“You sure you don’t want to come absorb some Asian culture.It would be inspiring for you.The rainy season is ending.You’d love it.”
“I’d love it if you were with me playing tourist.I’ve never been one to feel safe traveling on my own.I’m adventurous but I don’t think I’m that adventurous.Do you think you would be doing long days or short days?”
He made a face,“long.Definitely long.The last time I went over I ended up having to fly my new interior designers to interview there because I couldn’t coordinate times to call back home.It’s literally a twelve-hour difference.”
“So,you’ll be getting up as I’m going to bed here?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you more,”he said pressing his lips to hers.He wrinkled his nose,“I suddenly have an inkling as to why it was Merlin liked having you away from all your friends and family and wanted to wait for kids.Its hard to share you when my time is already so limited.I just want you at my beck and call.It’s not nice,I know but I get it now.”
She wound her arms around his neck,“don’t tell Janka.She’s likely to kick your butt if you sympathise with him.And for the record,he only liked having me at home like a trophy,you actually enjoy being with me and spending time with me.You also would never begrudge me doing things with the girls,not really,anyway.”
“That’s true,”he kissed her forehead.“I like the girls for you.They’re your best friends and you love them.Its important to keep them around,especially since I’m never here.”He made a pouty expression as he kissed her lips.
“Well finish with the enemies and nemesis and then your friends in Singapore and come home and steal me away for a week.”
He laughed and hugged her,“at least help me pack?”
“Yes.I can help.”
“Can I put you in my suitcase?”he pouted as she dragged him to the closet.
“No,but if you pack fast enough,you might have time to fuck me hard in the shower before you have to go.”
He froze at her words,“I don’t need to pack.I can buy new clothes when I land.Shower now,”he lifted her squealing over his shoulder and diverted from the closet to the bathroom.
Liesl wished he could stay this playful forever.Distractions never felt so good.
