Coldplay's new album is just so perfect I suggest everyone listen :P

Coldplay - Magic

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I darted my eyes between the bottle of water in my fridge and the half empty bottle of rosé. Deciding not to be stupid, I grabbed the bottle of water and leaned against my counter downing half of it in a few gulps. It was almost half two in the morning. After I got home earlier, I'd passed out on my couch from exhaustion and woke up two hours before I was due to meet Alisha. Dinner with her was lovely, we had Thai food and we had our last catch up before she goes back home tomorrow morning. She'd be back in Manhattan before New Years and agreed to help me with ideas for a series I had yet to come up with.

And after I got home around eleven, already feeling a little confident from the glass of white wine with dinner I'd text Eddie like the weakling I was. Sue me. He was barely through the door before I'd dragged him by the collar to my bedroom and had my wicked way with him.

"Can I say hello?" He said a smile twitching at his lips as I started on the belt of his jeans.

I raised a brow as I flicked the button open and lowered the zip. "I'm not stopping you."

Eddie didn't say anything at first, especially when I yanked his coat off, pulled his t-shirt over his head and hooked my fingers into his belt hoops.

"Hello," He finally said but his voice had dropped an entire octave when my dressing gown dropped open a little. Of course, I'd had my shower before he'd arrived so I was wearing nothing underneath.

I smiled, gripped onto both his jeans and boxers and yanked them down, dropping to my knees in the process.

I darted my eyes from his lowered gaze to his well endowed friend between his legs and replied, "And hello to you too."

But now, waking up realising that we hadn't specified whether he'd stay or not I'd glanced at his head resting on my stomach - he's such a mover in his sleep - and walked straight into the kitchen to rehydrate.

When I was standing at the fridge, I also realised this is the first time I've had a moment to actually think about what I was doing. I had no time this morning from waking up late for breakfast at The Plaza, to going out to dinner this evening and shamelessly thinking about nothing other than Eddie's mouth performing unholy actions. And now here I was, standing in my kitchen wearing his discarded old t-shirt rethinking the half bottle of wine.

I held the cold bottle to the heated skin on my forehead and sighed. We'd done everything but really talk talk and that was mainly what we needed to do regarding what the hell we were doing. I knew bits and pieces about him but I needed just that bit more maybe for my own sense of reassurance. I say reassurance but I think I just want to know about Debbie.

What was I doing? Eddie was a father. I was working with his ex-wife. Plus we worked together for crying out loud. Was this fair on his daughter; he said it himself he didn't just introduce anyone to her not that that would be much of a problem because I'd already met her. Plus we're not in any sense of a relationship.

And what if this didn't work out? What if this ends badly? What if... What if...

I closed my eyes with yet another sigh. Over-thinking. As I do best. The worst thing about this was I didn't want to just stop. It'd only just began and I still felt like I wanted more of him.

A time limit. That's what I needed. I needed a good amount of time to have a substantial fill of him. Not so long where I'd start to do something stupid like develop feelings other than the physical kind or worse fall for him. I'd be a fool.

February, March tops - if it lasted that long - which meant he'd be around for my birthday.

That was one problem sort of fixed but there were still others. I could almost hear my father a few months down the line if he ever caught wind of him.

"The man is eight years older than you."

"He has a child, Olivia. He's irresponsible and divorced."

"You don't need that kind of hassle this young."

And then I'd go on to say something like, "What difference is he to you when you divorced mom with two kids? You were barely older than me when you and mom called a quits."

I could imagine things escalating like wildfire from there. I was getting a headache from the many scenarios of their hypocritical words already.

Finishing the water, I made my way back to my bedroom. He'd moved onto his side from when I last saw him. I lay down slowly beside him and glanced at his face beside my pillow. Looking upon his face now I started to think how I didn't make the connection to Chase. They had a similar jaw line and nose and even Chelsea had the same mouth. Strong genes.

Relaxing, I shut my eyes and exhaled. This was something I needed to handle. No Mack or Randy, just me.

I tensed a little when I heard, "You were gone a while."

"I went for water and I was just... thinking." I answered quietly.

His eyes were still closed and I thought he'd fallen back to sleep when he didn't answer straight away. But of course he replied. "We both know what happens when you think."

I shifted to fully look at him. "Do we both know?"

Finally he opened his eyes. His grey gaze darted to my body and I realised I hadn't taken his t-shirt off. "You may not realise you do it, Olivia but you seem to assume a lot." I guess we do both know. "So I'm going to take a shot in the dark and do my own assuming. You haven't had a lot of time to think about this have you?"

I hated that he could read me sometimes. "I haven't."

"Do you regret this?"

And I also hated how his grey eyes pushed logical thinking off a cliff. His lips were pursed as he waited for my answer. "No, I don't regret this. Honestly, I thought I would but I don't."

"Tell me what you were thinking about."

"It was nothing, Eddie."

"Olivia-"

"Don't push this, please. It's late." I turned to the other side.

It was quiet now, I couldn't even hear his light snores so I assumed - that's right assumed - he was still awake. And I was right to have assumed as he put it a moment ago.

"You text me, Liv." He mumbled into the darkness.

"I know."

"We didn't even have dessert."

My lip twitched into a reluctant smile. "Help yourself to Ben and Jerry's in the freezer."

His warm hand curled around my waist and he pulled me toward him. "You were dessert enough." His breath tickled my ear and I welcomed the slight shiver of awareness. His fingers trailed along my naked thigh. They circled over the area of my hip where the lace of my underwear would be if I bothered to put them on and I sighed when I felt his growing arousal against my lower back.

"Look, I was only thinking about this and how... we should keep it the way it is; no complications. For my sanity." I mumbled the last part under my breath.

My breathing hitched on a breath when his long skillful fingers dipped between my legs, opening my thighs to tease me. His index drew a torturous circle over my throbbing sensitive nerve. I dropped my head back against his shoulder, reveling in the sensations and tingles coursing through my stomach and over my warming skin. His mouth kissed along my exposed neck, biting my earlobe as he continued to wreck havoc on my rationality.

"Eddie," I moaned, pausing to counter his moving digit. "Did you... did you hear me?"

"Hmm?"

"Eddie."

"I love hearing you say my name." I heard the unmistakable rip of foil and knew I wasn't going to get an answer from him. Maybe the morning... "Say it again."

When he slipped a finger inside of me I practically sung his name, relenting to the orgasm that shook me from my core upwards. He released me, lifted my leg and dove his sheathed erection inside of me. From a position like this, I couldn't begin to explain the rocket of pleasure gearing up and readying to launch.

His movements were unforgiving almost as if he were saying, 'Fuck the complications.' Even when he turned my head to the side with a steel like grip into my hair to claim my lips he was saying, 'And fuck the doubts.' This was here and now, not the future. I was so close, walking along the tightrope to yet another climax when he stopped, turned me over, resumed his previous position between my legs and held my gaze. He never let me turn away whenever I came. He wanted me to look at him. It was almost a dominating trait; his eyes screamed passion, they screamed 'you're mine' and as I fell off the rope into a cataclysmic realm of pleasure I was giving him everything he was asking for.

He fell into his own no more than a minute later, gripping both of my hands above my head and groaning his release into my neck.

Eddie pressed a lingering kiss to my cheek before disappearing and reappearing, boxers on, hair pointing left, right and center and settling beside me.

"You're my obsession, Olivia." He murmured dropping a kiss to my mouth. Every time his lips touched mine it felt different to the last. And that itself was the beginning of an addiction. A small smile tugged at my lips as I rolled and lay my head on his chest.

What were we talking about again...?

I succumbed just this once, I vowed, to the intimacy of our embrace and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep. All too soon, I felt his presence beside me disappear. I kept my eyes closed listening to the shuffle of his feet and the sound of his belt being buckled. I was still in his t-shirt; I didn't even take it off. What would he do? Wake me up for it? Stay until I did? I felt him pause in front of me. But instead of a shake to my shoulder or a 'Liv, gimme my shirt' his lips pressed softly against my forehead and his footsteps disappeared. I opened my eyes to catch him walking out of my room with his coat on.

I slipped back into unconsciousness thinking I'll just have to give it back another time then. Along with discussing the conversation he so cleverly avoided.

**

"Hey dad."

He pecked mine and then Corrine's cheeks before sitting in the seat opposite. "Hello girls."

I glanced around him at Sandra making her way over from the cloakroom. "Family dinner?"

It was Monday night and Corry and I were having a holiday meal out with our father. Now that it was the Merry holidays and Christmas was on Wednesday, I didn't have to sit through hours of staring at Eddie naked in a classroom until next year. Then again, that didn't count any extra curricular activities. Miranda went to Australia yesterday afternoon for a week for her honeymoon and would be back by next Monday. And after dropping her and Jake off I went to my mother's to help her food shop for the turkey and various other guilty pleasures for dessert.

All in all the past day and a half have been absolute hell. I'm mildly exhausted and I'm still waiting to bounce back from the wedding. A relaxing bath and a sleep in tomorrow morning is all I need, I think.

"I suppose," He cleared his throat, fiddling with the cutlery on his napkin. "After all you're both spending Christmas with your mother this year and this will be the only chance I'll see you both."

"Why's that?" Corry asked sipping at her water.

"Sandra and I are going to Florida tomorrow to her son's. We'll be back after New Years."

My sister and I spared each other a knowing glance before nodding our heads. Dad wasn't much of a Christmas person, never has. I could see the reluctance but as soon as Sandra came into view he brightened up immediately. The woman in question sent us both smiles before sitting beside out father. "Merry Christmas girls."

"You too." I smiled.

Her gaze held mine for an awkward moment before her smile widened a little. "You look different, Liv."

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I forced a frown. "Sorry?"

"How was Miranda's wedding?" She asked thankfully seeing my embarrassment. But good old Bill Reilly, attorney at law saw it and I could see the observation in his critical eye when he searched my flushed face. Dammit Sandra, it's barely been seventy-two hours.

I went into grave detail, hoping that maybe he'd forget or not bother asking why his eldest daughter looked 'different' according to Sandra. Through dinner, Corrine commented on a few things on the wedding or what she got mom for Christmas and I was relieved none of them brought it back up.

But of course, when dad and Sandra branched off into their own conversation Corrine turned to me. "You do look a little... glowy."

"I used a different moisturiser." I shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. "Who was that date you brought to the wedding by the way."

"Oh, that was Dan." Her eyes lit up. "We've been seeing each other for a few months now and Miranda said I could have a plus one so I thought why not?"

"That's pretty serious." I teased. "Inviting him to a wedding, that's quite a big step."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't see it that way."

"He might have." I winked.

"Well, if he did then he did. What about Eddie coming that's a 'big step'."

"Miranda invited him not me."

Corry smiled. "Oh, really?"

"Trust me, I was as surprised to see him as you were. And thanks by the way for pointing him out to mom when we were dancing." I whispered.

"We're siblings, dear Olivia. Do you expect any less from me?"

I nudged her arm as the plates were taken away and grinned. "I don't."

After paying, all four of us made our way out to the parking lot where it was beginning to snow. Corrine slid her arm through mine and shivered a little. "It's not truly Christmas in New York without the snow."

I smiled at that comment. Which immediately turned into a frown when she said, "Dad wants to talk to you before you go."

"About?"

"I don't know. But be quick though it's absolutely freezing."

I saw him still standing under the arch of the restaurant awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other and went over to him. Sandra sent me a smile and I gave her a brief hug before she went over to my father's car.

I stood beside him brushing my arm against his and glanced up at the fatherly look on his face as he watched me. "How's everything going with the gallery hunt?"

"It's going good. I managed to get a meeting with that woman I told you about."

"Well, that's wonderful!" It was always nice to see him sincerely smile, they were pretty rare to come by. "I'm proud of you, Livvy."

I hid my smile. "Thanks dad."

"Now, if you need help with the legal side of renting a property and going over any contracts I'm always here." His arm was hesitant before he wrapped it around my shoulders in a side hug. I brought my arm to his waist and squeezed back. "I am proud you know."

I gritted my teeth at the emotion in his voice and nodded my head; I didn't trust myself to reply. In a way I regretted not being a little closer to my dad all those years ago. I hated how much we had to strain for conversation sometimes. I wished it was a little easier. Just a little bit.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too." I tiptoed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Have fun in Florida."

"Tell your mother I said hi."

I gave him a sharp nod and went to leave. But he placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me and said, "You do look a little different, Olivia. Happier."

I cringed. Did I look unhappy before or something or was my lack of sex really that obvious? "Yeah, it's nothing. I'm just glad I'm on my way to opening the gallery." I smiled reassuringly... and in a way that said, 'Please don't ask anymore.' He was a dad after all, he could see there was more but he didn't pry further.

Corrine waved from the passenger seat as we drove away and turned to me with a raised brow. "Are you okay? What'd he ask?"

"Nothing bad, he was just asking about the gallery. Told me to say hi to mom too." I added with a chuckle. "Only contact those two have is when they send birthday and Christmas cards to each other."

"It's better than nothing, right. Are you taking me home?"

"I better, I don't want you travelling home in the snow tomorrow morning."

An hour later even more tired than earlier, I was still up wandering around my living room with a notepad and a pen brainstorming the limitless amount of things I could possibly do for my opening series. My heater was on full blast, my TV was blaring a repeat of Penny Dreadful, and that Ben and Jerry's tub was half eaten. I was cozy and ready to come up with ideas.

It had to be good, it had to be something a little different. I've done it all though, still life pencil drawings, portraits, figures. But all of them lacked emotion, it all seemed too lifeless, too boring to exhibit as my eye-catching series. I needed someone to look at this and think, "Wow. Liv was really feeling [said emotion] when she did these paintings/drawings."

But what could it be? I crossed off the idea of family portraits, it seemed too generic and overdone. A six piece series of a... pet? I don't even have a pet why did I put that on there. I needed a damn theme. I needed... inspiration but it wasn't something I could go looking for. I needed it to hit me, I needed it to knock me over.

I collapsed onto my sofa with a groan. How was I supposed to show Debbie my work when I haven't got anything new to show?

My phone vibrated beside me. I looked at the name and held back my surprise. It was almost eleven, there could only be one reason he would be calling. "Hello?"

"Good evening." His voice was a soft hum in my ear.

"Eddie, If you're coming over-"

"Is that really why you think I called?"

I picked up the Ben and Jerry's tub and went into the kitchen. "I... well, I thought-"

"Assumed you mean?" I could hear the amusement in his voice. "That isn't why I called although I'd want nothing more than to spend all night inside you."

I fanned my face with my hand. Maybe I should turn the heating off.

"No, I called to ask what you were doing tomorrow evening."

I shut the freezer and froze, ironically. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow evening?"

"Tomorrow evening, that's what I said."

"Christmas Eve." I clarified.

"...Do you want me to ask again?"

"Why... I mean, I probably would be at my mother's or..." Hell, I wasn't technically doing anything tomorrow evening. My grandma beat me to helping mom prepare the turkey this year so I'd either be at home or watching them run around the kitchen drinking eggnog.

"So probably isn't definite?"

"Why?" I repeated.

"I want to take you somewhere."

"But..." I looked around my kitchen as if that will somehow come up with an excuse.

"Still running from me, Liv?"

I narrowed my eyes. "No. It's just that I said Saturday night-"

"Is me taking you somewhere a complication? And might I add, I didn't agree to it."

No, because you distracted me. "Eddie-"

"I'll even give you my question."

I paused. "What question?"

"I had one question left Olivia. Remember that night at the bar when we played pool? I didn't use my last question and it so happened to be the number eight ball which, to me, means anything goes. So whatever you want to know you can ask me."

Whatever I wanted to know? I contemplated for what felt like an eternity, moving from my kitchen back to the living room. On one hand I could really use this. But on the other, alarm bells were going off in my head at the fact he'd just asked me on a date on Christmas freaking Eve.

"You there?" I heard and I shot back to reality.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"So?"

I rewound Penny Dreadful, pausing on a scene with Frankenstein and his monster before confidently saying, "Okay. Tomorrow evening."

I knew he was smiling, I didn't need to see him to know. His voice was clue enough. "Be ready around seven. And wear something comfortable and warm."

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Oh these two *sigh*

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