33. Victor

Chapter thirty-three

Victor

T oday was a busy day, and I am beyond tired. I didn’t like the idea of Olivia staying at her house last night, even though Arden was there, so I didn’t sleep well. Though I want to ask her to stay with me from now on, her independence is important to her because she wasn’t able to have it for so long. I also don’t want to become so pushy I scare her. I want to take this slowly for her sake because if it were up to me, I’d have her moved in tonight.

I’ve had Olivia’s thumbprint uploaded to the keypad, so I show her how to do it. The joy on her face was worth the fee to have it expedited. “Your car is also set up with the gate. Leo had it done today while you were at work.”

“So, I can come over whenever I want?” she asks as she walks into the foyer.

“Absolutely.”

I follow behind her, closing the door. Lane and Leo are going around the property to make sure there aren’t any areas Donovan could get in through. We didn’t find out much more today, but we found the main neighborhood where he likes to do his business. The next thing we want to find is what businesses wash money or move products for him. I tried to reach out to Connor again today, but he’s still not responding. I’m going to have to figure out a way to knock him off his high horse and make him speak to me.

We walk into the kitchen and are greeted by Crystal and Betsy. I can tell Crystal wants to hug Olivia in greeting, but I warned her to wait until Olivia is comfortable.

“Olivia, you get to meet my husband,” Crystal says, motioning behind us.

Olivia and I turn around to see Grant coming in from the back. He smiles at his wife before looking at Olivia and I.

“Mr. Valentine.” He nods in greeting to me. “Olivia?” he asks, looking between me and her. He’s asking if it’s okay to call her Olivia.

She nods and waves in greeting. “Hi.”

“I’m Grant, Crystal’s husband. I help take care of the horses as well as anything else Mr. Valentine might need.”

Olivia smiles and looks up at me. “Can we go see them?”

“After dinner.” I look back at Grant. “Have they had any sugar cubes today?”

“No, not today,” he answers. “I’m going to wash up then Crystal and I will be going for the day.” Olivia glances at Crystal and I can tell she’s feeling slightly guilty about the other interactions she’s had with her. I smirk. I actually liked the jealousy a little, but I’m pleased she’s seeing she has nothing to be jealous about.

I turn to Betsy. “Whatever you’re making smells delicious.”

She smiles and shakes her head at me. “You always say that, Mr. Valentine.”

I share a look with Olivia. “It’s always true.”

She chuckles and glances at Betsy. “It does smell delicious.”

“It’s chicken tortellini with garlic bread and salad because you have to eat your veggies,” Betsy tells us.

“There’s a bottle of wine chilling in the refrigerator for you two.” Crystal motions to the refrigerator.

“Thank you, both. Olivia and I will go wash our hands and we’ll be back in a few minutes.” I lead Olivia out of the kitchen and to the guest bathroom downstairs, motioning for her to go first. She walks in, but leaves the door open as she washes her hands.

“Does the tortellini have mushrooms in it?” she asks as she dries her hands off and walks out so I can get in.

“No. I let Betsy know what foods you don’t like.”

When we get back to the kitchen, Grant is back from washing up and Betsy is plating the food. “You two go sit and I’ll bring you your plates. I’ll clean up in here while you’re eating, then go to my quarters to leave you two alone,” Betsy says.

We say our goodbyes to Crystal and Grant, then walk to the dining room. I sit at the head of the table and she sits to my right.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her as I grab the bottle of wine Crystal brought to the table and pour her a glass, then one for myself.

“A little nervous, but excited.”

She gazes at me and for the first time since she’s walked back into my life, there aren’t any shadows. I love that I’m able to bring her peace. I look forward to the day I can dig Donovan’s grave, so she’ll never have to worry again.

“That’s understandable. Today was a busy day, but I’ve been thinking about you all day. The picture you sent me earlier didn’t do this dress justice. I love it.” I take a sip of my wine and enjoy that her cheeks turn pink. Before she can respond, Betsy is bringing our food.

“Enjoy,” she says before leaving.

Olivia keeps her hands in her lap and her eyes cast down. I study her as I take another sip of my wine. Is she waiting for me to start eating first or for me to give her permission to eat? I grab her napkin and place it in her lap, testing the waters. She continues to keep her eyes cast down, but she moves her hands so they now lie on top of her napkin. Interesting.

I grab my fork and spear a tortellini and some chicken. Bringing it to my mouth, I chew it slowly, waiting to see what she does. She still doesn’t move. My heart beats heavy in my chest at how perfect she is. She’s doing what I would normally ask her to do without me telling her. We haven’t signed the contract yet, so I don’t expect her to act this way until that moment. Inhaling deeply, my chest fills with pride.

“You are such a good girl, Olivia.” Her lips curve up into a satisfied smile, and she releases a shaky breath, but she still doesn’t move. “So perfect,” I murmur. “You may eat.”

She smooths her napkin over her lap and offers me a demure smile. “Thank you, Sir.”

Olivia picks her fork up and begins to eat. Fuck me. The air leaves my lungs. We haven’t talked about names we would use. I know I don’t want her to call me daddy. I’ve gone back and forth between Master and Sir, but I think she just decided for me.

“You’re welcome, treasure.”

I decided on that for her last night when I couldn’t go to sleep. By the look on her face, it was the right thing to do. I don’t want to call her pet or slave because that’s how Donovan made her feel for all of those years. I want her to know she is a treasure, and she’s my treasure.

We talk about our day. She asks me how my meetings went and I give her all the details she needs except for the ones relating to Donovan. I don’t want to keep anything away from her, but I want her to enjoy not being worried all the time.

“I know we will probably talk about this later,” Olivia says. “On the contract, I noticed it said I’m to make myself available to you Friday evenings through Sunday afternoons.”

I take a sip of wine. “Yes, that’s right. Do you have a question about that?” She plays with the napkin in her lap for a few seconds. I squint at her, trying to figure out why she’s nervous. Does she not like the idea of being with me all weekend?

“Before we talked about that, I had already promised Ansley I would go to Atlanta this weekend for her birthday. Her brother asked Caroline and I to come and celebrate with her. The game is on Saturday, but we were going to leave Friday after work and return on Sunday.” She glances up at me and gauges my reaction.

“Okay. I’m disappointed I won’t get to see you, but I understand you’ve already made plans.” I reach across the table and grab her hand, rubbing my thumb along her knuckles. “You don’t have to be scared or nervous to tell me those things, dolce ragazza. I know you have a group of friends you care about very much. I will not take you away from them. This arrangement is nothing like what Donovan did to you. I don’t want to isolate you. Okay?”

Her shoulders relax. “Okay.”

I point to her plate. “Please finish your food and we’ll go upstairs to my office and talk about this in more detail.”