She picked up the phone and smiled at him.

“I’m glad my sister married you.”

Drew reached for Alexa’s hand.

“I’m glad your sister married me, too,” he said. “What hotel is your senator boyfriend staying at?”

Olivia grinned.

“The Fairmont.”

Chapter Twelve

Olivia walked into the hotel lobby and checked her texts for Max’s room number.

Just getting on the elevator!

She got off the elevator without incident and walked down the hall to his room. But before she could even knock on the door of room 1624, the door swung open.

“There you are.” Max grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

“Here I am,” she said as they wrapped their arms around each other.

“I missed you so much.” He traced her face with his fingertips, like he was memorizing it.

“I missed you, too,” she said. She ran her fingers through his hair. It was slightly longer than normal—he usually got a haircut from the same guy in L.A. every three weeks on Saturday mornings, and tomorrow was his regular haircut day, so it would have to wait until next weekend. It felt ridiculous, and wonderful, that she knew that.

“It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you,” he said. He pulled her silk blouse out from where it was tucked into her jeans and unbuttoned the first button.

“It was only a week ago,” she said. Why did she still always go breathless when he touched her like this?

He nodded and unbuttoned two more buttons.

“I know. But I spent two days thinking I would have to go two weeks without seeing you. I can’t even tell you how much I missed you those days.” He dropped a gentle kiss on her lips as he unbuttoned another button. “It made me realize a week is my limit.”

Maybe that was why she’d missed him so much this week, too.

“Did you have fun with your sister?” he asked as he stroked her cheek.

She smiled as he kissed her earlobe.

“I did. I finally told her about us, and she freaked out. And . . .” Damn it, she had to tell him this part when he wasn’t distracted. “Max, wait, hold on a second.”

He pulled back a few inches but kept hold of her waist.

“Why, is something wrong?”

She shook her head.

“Not wrong, exactly, but I should warn you—my sister’s boss is going to be at that fundraiser tomorrow night. Which means . . .”

He dropped his head on her shoulder.

“Which means your sister is going to be at the fundraiser, too. And you’re not.”

She ran her fingers through his hair again. She liked it a little too long like this.

“Exactly. Sorry to spring this on you at the last minute. She’s very nice!”

He stood up straight and laughed.

“Oh, I’m sure she’s very nice, just like you are, and a shark, just like you are, too.”

Well, Olivia couldn’t disagree with that.

“It’ll be fine! Though I wish I could be there to see this.” She kissed him on the cheek. “How was the event today? And the dinner tonight?” she asked him.

He reached for her buttons again.

“Great, and very boring, in that order. But that last part doesn’t matter, because I have you with me right now. I’ll tell you all about both after.”

She raised her eyebrows at him.

“After what?” she asked.

He unbuttoned her last button.

“After I pull your clothes off, throw you onto that big bed over there, and have my way with you for hours, woman who asks silly questions.”

He unzipped her jeans and pushed them over her hips onto the floor as she giggled. Then he bent down and threw her over his shoulder, which only made her giggle harder.

“Oh my God, what are you doing? If you throw out your back because of me and you’re out of commission for weeks, I’m going to feel so guilty!”

He walked across the room with a few strides and tossed her onto the huge bed. She laid back on the pillows and smiled at him as he pulled his own clothes off and dropped them to the floor.

“It would be worth it,” he said as he landed on the bed next to her. “It’s too fun to surprise you to restrain myself just for fear of my aging back.”

Olivia turned to look at him, and before he could move, she pushed him down, flipped over, and knelt over him.

“Now it’s my turn.” She smiled down at him, and at the surprised—and aroused—look on his face.

She kissed him hard, and he kissed her back just as hard. All of her longing and frustration and confusion and joy about him came out in that kiss. He was everything she wanted, he was everything she wasn’t sure she could have, he was everything she was unsure about, he was everything that made her happy.

“You’re so fucking incredible,” he said as he reached around to unclasp her bra. “Sometimes I don’t believe you’re real.”

He pulled her bra off and caressed her breasts in just the way she loved. He’d figured that out so fast.

“Likewise,” she said as he slid down so he could suck her nipples into his mouth. When she felt the gentle scrape of his teeth against her nipple, she moaned, and then caught herself.