Dating Dilemma: The Question of Monogamy II

Olivia Pope was about to do something that she had never done in her adult, professional life; something that could get her fired and generally blacklisted with a horrible reputation in the industry. She was about to physically assault an innocent sponsor. She wasn't a violent person and this would be completely out of character but she didn't care.

It was Charlie's last comment that made Olivia want to scream. "Only a mature person can separate sex from emotion. Sex is about fulfilling a basic need, much like food fulfills the basic need for nourishment. It's intrinsic. Nothing about human nature allows us to accept monotony. We all crave variety, whether it's in our food, our clothing, our choice of entertainment. Why should sex be any different? We need variety. And that can only be fulfilled with different partners throughout our lifetime," Charlie shrugged, "immature people don't quite understand that. They keep equating sex with emotions, feelings and love, when, in fact, one has nothing to do with the other."

She was not only going to refuse this assignment but, after she slapped her, she was about to tell this woman – this "Charlie" – the unpleasant place where she could shove her website; that the world would be a better place if untrustworthy, deceitful, horrible people like her didn't exist. When had it become old fashioned and ridiculous to believe in the security and love that a monogamous relationship could provide? People had been devoted to each other for years; married for decades but all of a sudden it was abnormal and unrealistic. It was as if you were now some sort of mutant or alien to believe in long-lasting beautiful love.

Out the corner of her eye she glanced at Fitz; his face was unreadable. But his calm demeanor clearly meant he wasn't outraged. Figures, she thought. This was probably a dream assignment for him. He probably couldn't wait to get into her website and test it out for himself; see how many women he could hook up with. He probably wanted to sign up. Maybe he had already been on the site and tried the experience. Olivia was now frowning in disgust at both Charlie and Fitz.

The fact that he wasn't bothered by the assignment made her even angrier; the residual annoyance she felt from his treatment of her at the party now being compounded by their current situation.

She clenched the side of the table and moved to stand up until she felt Fitz's hand on hers, halting her movement.

"Charlie, can you please excuse me and Olivia for a moment? We need to step out for a bit. We will be right back." Fitz stood and keeping a grip on Olivia's hand, silently urging her to follow him out of the room. He knew she was about to blow up and needed to talk to her before she did anything rash.

"Sure of course. No problem…If you see my husband out there, can you tell him where to find me?"

Yanking on Fitz's hand to stop him from leaving the room, Olivia asked in equal parts of disgust and disbelief, "Wait…so you're married and your husband has no problem with this?"

Charlie chuckled. "Yes, I am married; going on 25 years. And no… he has no problem; he's a member too."

Olivia groaned and opened her mouth to say something more but Fitz forced her out of the room and into another conference room. Closing and locking the door, he drew the curtains so that they couldn't be seen from the outside. When he turned around, Olivia was already pacing back and forth. He could practically see the steam rising off her skin.

"Do I even need to ask how you're feeling about this assignment?"

She paused and glared at him, "Ugh". She resumed pacing.

Fitz knew that this assignment was not just about the woman in the other room but it was about him too.

"Talk to me Livvy."

"This is wrong Fitz…on so many levels this is wrong."

"I agree."

She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "What does Cyrus expect us to do with this woman?...Promote her site as an healthy alternative to true commitment? This….this goes against everything I believe in and it's not even true journalism. This is some freakin' mediocre tabloid nonsense. It belongs in the Enquirer, not in this magazine. I cannot believe Cyrus would suggest something like this. Actually I can…he's not interested in honest informative articles, he wants sensationalism; he wants shock and awe…I wouldn't put it past him to next have some cameras in here to follow us around like reality TV. This is beyond crossing the line Fitz….And I won't do it. You can do it if you want to…you would probably enjoy it," she paused her pacing path and cast him a suspicious look, then resumed her trail. "But I'm going to tell Cyrus that I pass on this assignment. You can do whatever you want."

It took several more minutes for Olivia to realize that Fitz wasn't saying anything. She finally stopped pacing and turned to him. "Well?!"

Fitz had been patiently waiting for her to finish her vent of frustration. He tried not to take offense at the fact that her opinion of him was so low she automatically assumed he would enjoy signing up to take the first opportunity to cheat on her.

"Would you have a problem with this assignment if it wasn't for what was going on between us?" he asked softly.

The question took her aback and slightly deflated her. "Yes...I mean no…I mean yes. You and I have nothing to do with this. I'm not making this personal."

He raised his eyebrows in question.

She sighed and dropped down into one of the chairs. "Just shut up!"

Chuckling at her childish remark, he took a seat across from her.

"Liv, I admit that I don't have any experience at being in a serious, committed relationship but even I know that the longer we drag out our problems the more it hurts us. I can already guess what you were thinking in there listening to Charlie talk…you were thinking that I would enjoy something like this; that I would probably like to sign up or something like that."

"I wasn't," she quickly denied but the look on his face told her that he knew she was lying, "OK I was…so then tell me…tell me what you really think."

"I agree with everything you said and not just because it's you but because it's true. But that doesn't mean that everyone thinks like you and I. Some people may like that sort of lifestyle. However, no one said that we have to write it for those people."

"What?...What do you mean?"

"I mean that this is our article. We have loyal readers that want to hear from US not from Charlie. So we handle the assignment the way we want to, not the way SHE wants us to."

"But what…what if Cyrus won't sign off on the finished product."

"Then he can write the article his damn self."

She thought about his suggestion and when a smile began to appear on her face, he knew she was in agreement. "So can I trust you to go back in there and control your temper?"

XXXXXX

Charlie was beaming with pride.

She was sure they would reject her website for their article especially considering the looks of contempt and loathing she had received from Olivia.

But they didn't. In fact, as she now sat with Fitz, Olivia and Cyrus, she couldn't be more excited to get started. Surprisingly, they all appeared excited too. They listened and took notes as Charlie described the website in more detail.

She was about to invite Fitz and Olivia to sign up on the site to test it out when she realized they had other plans.

Huck, the tech guy, was going to create a controlled, test environment of the site. She was assured that the protocols of her security would not be breached; the site would not be made vulnerable to hackers or unauthorized intruders. Apparently, Huck was an expert and would have it completed within a couple of hours.

She frowned in confusion. She didn't know if she felt comfortable with their suggestion. And furthermore, she didn't see the purpose in it.

Fitz explained. "Well Olivia and I would like to conduct an experiment. We will have an anonymous test group of people enroll on the site and try it out. What they see and the feedback they get will look like your normal group of members but of course no changes, no communications between interested parties will be live."

Olivia continued. "Our goal is to see how many people, once they are introduced to the site on a trial basis, might actually be interested in permanently signing up; find out how many people truly agree with your theory that their sexual desires cannot be fulfilled by their partners."

"Sounds like a great plan to me," Cyrus prompted. He didn't really care about the details; he cared about the finished product and whether it would actually attract more readers.

"Alright fine; I'll get one of my IT guys on the phone to discuss the specifics with Huck," Charlie agreed with a little less hesitancy. She then smiled and asked, "So what finally persuaded you? I could tell that you weren't too comfortable with me in the beginning…. I'm sure it was when I had you close your eyes and picture the stranger. That is what usually convinces people; helps them become more open to the idea of seeking sexual freedom."

Fitz spoke up. "Actually that wasn't it. That experiment only proved that there was a problem with your theory."

Charlie was intrigued. She would have never guessed Fitz would contradict her. He didn't look the type to settle down with one woman; he looked the type to have a harem of women waiting to satisfy his every desire. "Do tell." Charlie invited.

"Well the person that came into my mind was my girlfriend," Fitz said truthfully. From his peripheral vision he could see Olivia turn to him with a shocked expression.

"Really?" Charlie and Olivia said at the same time.

"Yes, really. And we ARE in a monogamous relationship," Fitz explained. "See the inherent problem with theories like yours is that it speaks in generalities as if everyone feels the exact same way about relationships. When in fact, there can be people who are perfectly content with having one partner. Don't get me wrong there are people who do feel the same as you, as evidenced by the large number of participants on your site but jealousy is still a very human emotion and to believe that monogamy is illogical and unreasonable assumes that no one ever feels jealousy and pain over unfaithful acts. Furthermore it assumes that humans act largely out of primal, base instinct; as if we cannot control our sexual urges and cannot CHOOSE to devote ourselves to one person only. When, in fact, millions of people choose it every day and they are happy in doing so."

Charlie was silenced; a mixture of awe and skepticism playing across her face.

"Your lifestyle is your choice and we are not here to cast judgment on it. But with as much respect as you would require, you need to learn to give the same type of respect to people who believe differently and stop dismissing them as ignorant and stupid."

Olivia's mouth dropped open; she had never heard him speak this way about relationships. She began to smile at him, a mixture of pride and love clear upon her face.

XXXXXX

Charlie insisted that Fitz and Olivia be the first ones to sign up on the test site. They were to complete a profile with a fake name but provide truthful answers to the questions. It would provide a control sample and help them get the full experience from her website before working with a test group. She left them alone in the conference room.

"Thanks for saying that," Olivia said from across the table when they were alone. The sincerity in his voice told her that he had spoken the truth and she was moved. She loved that he continued to show her the depth of his affection.

"I meant what I said Livvy." Fitz replied casually from behind his laptop.

"I know you did and I appreciate you saying it….So, do you want to share answers?" Olivia asked.

"That would be cheating," Fitz teased.

"Of course it would but think about all the intimate knowledge we would have about each other. Wouldn't that be worth it?"

He contemplated her offer, wondering how many different ways this could backfire on him. It could possibly reveal things about him that she was uncomfortable with or not ready to hear – again.

"Don't overthink it Fitz…this is supposed to be fun."

He saw her smile and couldn't help but smile in return. He loved this playful side of her. "Alright but we need ground rules," he said.

"Ground rules?"

"Yes, Rule #1: You must be completely honest. Rule #2: No judgments, no condemning remarks, sarcasm or ridicule. And Rule #3: Whatever we say cannot be held against us at a later date. Deal?"

"Sure. Deal. Are you ready?"

He was now excited to find out about her sexual proclivities. "Alright…what's your fake name?"

"mmmm Pussy Galore," Olivia said as she began to type on the computer.

Fitz laughed. "Sounds like someone has a James Bond fantasy itchin' to come out."

Olivia smiled and asked, "What's yours?"

"Trojan Cockly."

They knew they should be taking the assignment seriously but after the rough and stressful week they had, they needed the laughter.

After completing the profile information regarding their physical features and other superficial questions, they came to their first sexual question: From 1 to 10 (10 being highest), what is your comfort level with giving and receiving oral sex.

"10," they both said simultaneously. Fitz's eyebrows shot up as he looked at her over the laptop. She understood the unspoken question and smiled seductively.

The next question read, Are you open to sexual bondage?

"Yes," they both said simultaneously again. Fitz smiled, Olivia blushed.

God, there was so much that they had not tried and to know that she was open to it made his pupils dilate as he continued to stare at her.

"Have you ever tried it?" Fitz asked; his curiosity was piqued. His mind was imagining her naked and tied to his bed.

"I'm sorry…is that a question on the survey because I don't see it," she said sarcastically.

"Smart ass….nevermind."

"Have you ever had or are you open to a three-way?" Olivia said.

"Yes and no," Fitz answered quickly.

She was genuinely surprised that he wasn't still open to the idea of being with two women at once. "Really? Someone like you?"

Someone like me? He tried not to take offense at the comment, instead he shrugged it off. "Been there…done that and moved on."

"mmm, good to know…because it's a 'no' for me as well."

"Sex in a public place?" Fitz asked and paused. Instead of answering first, he wanted to wait to see what Olivia would say.

"Yes," she said eagerly; a little too eagerly. She looked up from the computer to find him staring at her. She laughed and said, "I have tried some things before Fitz; I'm not a prude."

"I never said you were…it's just…interesting and good to know."

"Phone sex?"

"Yes," they both answered together; that was a no-brainer.

"Would you video tape yourself having sex? Yes, no, maybe," Olivia paused and thought about the question. "I'm not completely against the idea but I had a roommate in college who did one with her boyfriend and SOMEHOW the tape got released and circulated everywhere. She was devastated; it nearly ruined her life. So I'm going to say 'maybe'."

They continued to go through the survey and found that they had more in common then they realized and more importantly there were many areas for them to explore with each other sexually. The prospects were many.

Fitz found out that there was very little that was a complete turn off for Olivia. Olivia learned that when Fitz was in his twenties, three different producers asked him to do a porno shoot. He almost did it and then at the last minute backed out.

They came to the question that asked them to describe one or more of their sexual fantasies. The one requirement was that they had to be as detailed and specific as possible. They gave each other one fiery glance before they began typing furiously.

All the while stealing furtive glances at each other, it took them another 10 minutes to finish typing.

"Do you want to share?" Fitz asked.

Olivia thought for a moment. "I have a suggestion….Christmas presents. In addition to whatever presents, we've bought for each other; we gift each other with our sexual fantasies. What do you think?"

He smiled. Did she even have to ask?

XXXXXX

"So, I'm thinking we worked really hard today and we should cut out early. Maybe go to your place," Olivia suggested after she slyly walked into his office and gently closed the door behind her.

Fitz looked up and salivated as he watched her seductive stride. It didn't matter that they saw each other every day; he could never get enough of just watching her. The way she talked, the way she moved, even the way she listened while others spoke; all of it captivated him.

She made her way over to his desk and leaned down on it, exposing a peak at her cleavage for his benefit. She smiled, "So can we leave now?"

Olivia could admit that she was extremely aroused by the day's events. Every topic centered on sex and being in such close proximity to Fitz only made her mind drift and daydream about their intimacy. She had been watching him all day. The way he used his hands when he talked; such big, expressive hands; the moments when he subconsciously licked his lips; the way his muscles flexed through his shirt whenever he crossed his arms. Trying to focus on her job had been futile; she was now ready to give up trying and give in to what she really wanted.

She was a temptress and Fitz wanted nothing more than to give in to her request; he was more than ready to leave and be with her.

But he couldn't.

He stood and began cleaning off his desk. His voice was strained betraying the struggle between his mind and body. "I can't…I'm sorry."

Olivia thought he must be joking. "Oh really?...Why?"

"I told Lincoln I would come to the youth center; join a pick-up game or two." The game wasn't for another hour but he needed to leave now and put some distance between them.

She chuckled dryly, "You're kidding right?...You would rather play basketball than spend the evening together?"

He continued packing up; putting his laptop in his bag. "No, I wouldn't but I don't really have a choice. If I spend the evening with you, I'll end up staying the night."

She was confused. Why did he sound as if he didn't want to be with her? "Well isn't that kind of the whole point?"

He paused and looked at her. "The point is that sex does not help resolve our issues. And I feel like…I feel like…" He stopped, realizing that this may not be the time or the place to get into this discussion. "Never mind, forget it…I don't want to get into it here; I'll just talk to you later."

He started to walk away but she caught his arm and turned him back to face her. "No!...Don't walk away...say what you were going to say." She had a defensive stance as if she was steeling her emotions, preparing herself for anything he might say.

Fitz exhaled sharply before explaining, "I feel like you have no problem coming for me when you want to have sex. But when I want to talk, you avoid me. All I want to know is what you're thinking and how you feel about me, about us… beyond sex. I don't know where we are right now Liv. I don't know if you're mad at me about my past, absolved to it or curious about it. And I don't know because you don't communicate with me…Do you understand how frustrating it is to try to guess what's on someone's mind when they won't talk? They won't say a word for over a week. Sex would accomplish nothing…we would still be right back here, in the same position…stuck…because you won't talk to me."

He tried to remain passive; not allow his frustrations to cause her to shut down even more than she already had. But by the end of his monologue, his irritation was showing and he could see the effect it had on her. She was hurt. A single tear escaped and he suddenly felt like a jerk. Granted what he said was true, but he never meant to make her cry.

Overcome by emotion, Olivia had no words to say to him.

Almost instinctually, Fitz took her into his arms and embraced her tightly. "I'm sorry Livvy. I wasn't trying to make you cry. I'm sorry."

He held her for several minutes, happy to see that when he pulled back she was no longer crying. He kissed her lips and said, "We'll talk later…I love you."

Not yet trusting herself to speak, she wordlessly nodded in agreement. She stood in the middle of his office watching as he left.

XXXXXX

Fitz had pushed himself harder than he should have. He played back-to-back games that were longer and more physical than usual. But he needed the outlet; he needed to expend some energy and alleviate stress. Now he couldn't wait to go home and relax. He had showered at the center and didn't bother to wait until his hair was completely dry. He threw on his sweats and a T-shirt and quickly left.

He checked his phone and saw the only messages he had were from his brother and his father; none from Olivia. He wondered how she was feeling. Driving home, he replayed the scene earlier in his office. He doubted that he had done the right thing. Maybe he should've just let the situation play out and run its course; allow Olivia to talk to him when she was ready. Or maybe he should have insisted that they talk when everything first came up, instead of letting it fester.

He contemplated whether he should show up at her house but decided against it when he considered that she still may not be ready to talk.

When Fitz walked through his front door, something felt off. The house was quiet as usual but he had the feeling that he wasn't alone. He looked around and nothing was different or out of place; still he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. He checked to see if Tommy was passed out on his couch but no one was there. He figured his mind was playing tricks on him and he was just tired. Without eating, he headed up the stairs directly for his bedroom; he would catch the last of Sports Center before passing out.

Walking into his bedroom he noticed a soft light coming from the adjoined bathroom. The door was slightly ajar and he could see candles flickering; casting shadows in the light. When he opened the door wider, the sight before him took his breath away.

"Hi."

"Hi."

XXXXXX

"This is for you," he said as he handed her a glass of her favorite red wine.

He found her soaking in his bathtub, silhouetted in candlelight. The bubbles barely reached the top of her breasts. Her hair was piled up high on her head revealing her smooth neck that beckoned his lips but he refrained. She was radiantly beautiful but she also looked sad and very tense. He thought she needed the drink.

She could barely meet his eyes as she accepted the glass and gulped down the liquid in one swallow.

"Woah…Woah slow down." Fitz took the now empty glass from her and sat it on the bathroom counter.

"Can I wash your back?" he asked to break through the silence. She still hadn't said anything,

She finally smiled up at him and handed him the wet towel; adjusting her body to give him better access.

He sat on a stool next to the massive bathtub. His touch was gentle and soothing and the soft inflection of his voice warmed her even more. "I didn't see your car outside."

"My car isn't here. Your sister picked me up. She knew where you kept your spare key. She let me in. I told her I was spending the night….I mean I can stay in the guest room if you like."

"Livvy…..

"I was waiting for you but I got too anxious and wanted to relax in a hot bath. I hope its ok."

He hated that she sounded so unsure of herself.

He finished her back and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. He kissed her soundly, lovingly. When he released her, he said, "I'm glad you're here. I always want you here."

She moved away from him and leaned against the wall at the back of the tub.

He watched as she closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the bath water.

"Tell me how you felt at Lincoln's party."

Olivia had been going over in her mind how to express her feelings to him. Admittedly, she was a horrible communicator of her feelings. She often suppressed them until they boiled over into anger or she settled for disappointment and sadness; that wouldn't work with Fitz. She knew that if they stood a chance at a successful relationship she had to tell him everything.

She held his gaze as she gave him an honest disclosure of her feelings.

"I felt like you abandoned me. For all the time we've been together…I've felt like the most important person in your life and that night…with all those women and me being alone…I suddenly felt like I was nothing to you. I felt like I was no better than one of those girls and I had fooled myself into thinking I was something more.

"You keep saying that all those women are in your past but it's not really the past, is it? Not really…it's present…it's now. Mellie is still around, these women, whoever they are, however many there are, are still around. And I know….I know you've changed but most of your adult life you've been that guy that doesn't really commit to one woman. You even said you didn't really know what love looked like. And I don't want to force this on you. If you're not this type of guy then you're not this type of guy. I don't want you to be something you're not or something that doesn't feel right to you. I don't want you to feel…" the emotions were great and they were choking. She paused before continuing.

"We're taking a big risk on each other Fitz and I'm afraid that one day….I won't be enough for you. One day you'll realize that a committed relationship isn't really what you want and I'll be nothing more than another Mellie in your life; another woman devoted to you while you cheat on her. It scares me because I don't know if I could ever let you go and I don't know what it would do to me to have you treat me like that."

He blinked; she said a lot. He asked for her thoughts and she gave him more than enough to reflect upon. Still he was thankful. He needed to hear her fears and insecurities; it was the only way he could fix it; help her believe in him and them.

"Before you Olivia, I never gave a thought to being in love or being in a serious relationship. I didn't know what it would feel like and I never thought I would need it. I thought I could live without it. I have slept with a lot of women," he admitted pointedly. "And afterward, I felt emptier, more alone, than I had before. Something was missing. I was chasing a feeling. I didn't know what that feeling was. All I knew was that I wasn't complete; I was hollow. Over time the hole got bigger and I would fill it with more sex, with partying and drinking. It never worked. I tried to ignore it but it never went away.

"I started dating Mellie because I was tired of the endless disconnect with faceless women. I don't see their faces Olivia…I don't see them," he emphasized. "One woman was the same as the next and the next to me…I felt nothing; I feel nothing for them. I thought with Mellie I could find something more with her but she was just as shallow and cold as every other woman. When that's all the women you attract into your life, it doesn't take long for you to believe that's all you deserve," he concluded reflectively.

She watched his lips move, hanging on his every word.

"When I met you, it was the first time I felt like I was being shown what being happy truly meant. I felt like life was giving me a chance at something better. It was the first time I wanted to reach for the unknown. I wanted to be in love. I wanted to love you and I wanted you to love me too….Since we have been together, I've finally felt what I've been missing all my life. I finally feel complete and…happy. To lose that feeling again…to go back to what I was before….to lose you would be the end of me. I can't go back to that.

"So when you tell me you're worried that I might leave you, it's almost laughable because I can't leave Livvy. I can't go anywhere. You're everything to me and I'm so sorry for making you feel like you were anything less than the most important person to me. I love you Olivia and I need you….Just don't run from us Livvy. Don't run."

She stared at him; looking for truth, commitment and whatever else she needed to believe he was real. He stared back; hoping to give her the assurance that his words were real.

Suddenly, she stood from the tub and faced him. Fitz was captivated as he watched the water and residual bubbles cascade down her glowing skin. My god, she's beautiful, echoed within him.

For some reason, Olivia felt like she needed to give him one last out; one last opportunity to end this.

"Are you sure you want to do this Fitz because once we commit to….." she began but she wasn't allowed to say anything else before he advance upon her; taking her into his arms and capturing her mouth with his.

He was done talking.

XXXXXX

"SSS…..Shit….baby…..please!"

Fitz realized that it was his own hoarse voice begging as his fists gripped the sheets. He thought he could do this. He thought he had greater control; he never begged.

"Liv baby…gaaahhhhhhhh!" All he wanted right now was for her to take him completely inside her mouth and he lifted his hips to emphasize his need but she was insistent on the tortuously slow pace. The sight of her lips wrapped around him, ready to suck him dry sent him reeling.

Olivia felt triumphant. To have this kind of power over a man like Fitz was more of a confidence booster than she could have imagined. She suddenly felt the vixen; the most amazingly, sensuous woman alive. He made her feel that way.

Chocolate fire stared back at him, daring him to give up and cave under the pressure. He didn't want to beg, not again but he was going out of his mind.

She finally took mercy on him. Her head bobbed up and down on him; giving him the release he craved. "Fuck!...YES!...Fuck!" he yelled as she deep throated him.

Olivia held him in her mouth until, to her delight, she felt him harden again. Fitz forcefully flipped her over on all fours and without pause thrust into her deep and hard. Olivia gasped at the impact. His hands seemed to multiply as they seemed to be everywhere at once – manipulating her clit, massaging her breasts. She could barely breathe, formulate thoughts or words.

"Fitz," she breathed. When she said his name like that, with an almost quiet urgency in her voice it created such intensity within him.

"What do you want baby?...Tell me what you want," Fitz demanded as he suddenly stilled his movements. Olivia tried to move against him instead but he held her hips tightly, fingertips pressing into her flesh, refusing to let go. He wasn't going to move another inch until she told him exactly what she wanted. "What do you want?"

When Olivia finally looked over her shoulder back at him, the wild look in her eyes, excited him; almost made him lose it again before her. "I need you to fuck me…fuck me now!"

Fitz pounded into her, spreading her knees wider; going in deeper. Her breasts jiggled up and down as Olivia met him thrust for thrust. "Gotdamn, your ass…so fucking sexy!"

His hand found her throbbing center, stroking her slow, then fast, then slower and then faster. "Harder," she begged; she was so close. Her throaty moans and gasps filled his bedroom, motivating him to go harder.

He pulled out and went deeper. He sucked at her neck until he felt her muscles tightening around him. The cries that escaped her were almost akin to pain but it was overwhelming pleasure. She couldn't control it; she wanted it, needed it and it came upon her hard. He came thereafter; his moan loudly ringing in her ears.

XXXXXX

"So what was that about?" he tested once the panting from physical exertion had calmed. She possessively draped her leg across his mid-section and he kissed her forehead.

He could hear the smile in her drowsy voice as she feigned ignorance, "What was what about?"

He squeezed her once and she laughed. Seeing that side of her, knowing she could be that comfortable with him sexually was powerfully arousing. He loved it; loved her for trusting herself with him. They both knew he awakened something within her and there was no going back from it.

"I want you to have something," Fitz said as he gently eased her off his shoulder and reached inside his nightstand drawer. He gave her a small brown envelope and prompted her to open it.

She sat up in bed next to him and opened the envelope, allowing the contents to fall into her hand – a single key.

"It's a key to my house. I want you to be able to come and go whenever you like."

She was quiet as she looked at the key in her hand and then up at him. "Fitz you didn't have to…."

He cut her off, "Yes I did…I wanted to. I've been wanting to." He kissed her softly, urgently, tenderly. "I don't have anything to hide from you Livvy; whatever I have is yours."

XXXXXX

"So this is your website design….I had them do some mock ups for you. These won't be the pictures we use; I just gave them some samples I had. The photo shoot we have scheduled for tomorrow will give us the photos we want. I need you to double check the bio info on your profile page to make sure everything is accurate. And touring cities will be loaded on this screen…"

Olivia tried to listen closely as Fitz' publicist, his Uncle Ramsey March, went over the details of his book release, tour, speaking engagements, public appearances, social media campaign and general marketing. Everything seemed to be happening really fast and her head was spinning. The way his uncle was talking, she didn't know if she would even see much of Fitz for the next few weeks before he left on the tour.

Still she was proud of him and determined to give him her full support. She knew his reluctance came from his hesitance to leave her and she did not want to be a factor in his decision. She wanted him to reach for his dreams; she would never be the one to stop him.

She liked his Uncle Ram. He was from his mother's side of the family, so he lacked the intensity that came with the Grant family. He was easy going and good-natured. He had an odd quirk of winking to emphasize his statements but Olivia thought it was cute.

What she didn't like was his assistant, Taylor, a twenty-something, beautiful brunette who instead of soaking up everything her boss said, spent more time staring at Fitz. While Ram would travel with Fitz as much as possible; Taylor would be there to fill in for him whenever he was absent. Her inexperience would not be a factor as nothing would be done without Ram's input and approval.

"I don't want Jerry to have anything to do with this Uncle Ram. You have a question, you come to me and I decide. I don't want anything being posed to Jerry and I don't want his input. Are we clear?"

"Absolutely…So how is all of this supposed to work out with you taking over the publishing houses?"

"You're about to head a publishing house?" Taylor asked with more than passing interest. Her eyes were twinkling in delight as Fitz's appeal now rose exponentially for her.

Olivia rolled her eyes and Fitz ignored her. He took Olivia's hand and explained to his uncle, "We are still trying to work all that out…One step at a time."

Obviously the 'we' meant Fitz and his girlfriend Olivia. Ramsey was glad to see this improved version of Fitz. It was good to see his nephew in such a responsible relationship. He was maturing; becoming the man that would've made his mother proud.

Everyone seemed satisfied with the arrangement. "What do you think Livvy?" Fitz asked.

The excitement in his voice warmed her heart and for his sake, she forced herself to feel it too. "I think everything sounds great."

(A/N: It's so crazy but this chapter has actually been on my computer for almost six months just waiting to be edited and posted. I guess that's what happens when you have multiple stories running at once:) Hope you enjoyed the update.)