TROTD - Chapter Three: Bite Marks

Fitz heard his alarm, intruding into the haze of partially hung over misery and post-coital bliss. He blinked several times and absently reached his hand to the other side of the bed. She was gone, or maybe she had just been a dream in his inebriated sleep deprived state. He rolled towards where she had been and could smell her. She smelled like Michael Kors perfume, rosemary mint shampoo and desire. He sat up and looked around the room. Her bra and panties were still there so he knew she hadn’t left. He thought about calling her name but was afraid his voice would shatter the fragile nature of their interaction the night before. Women never spent the night at his house; he had adopted that rule when he moved permanently to California. Somehow he could compartmentalize his life if they left before dawn. He’d broken that rule with Olivia and it terrified him. Things would be complicated enough as it was but now he would have to tell her the truth. It wasn’t that he’d lied to her, a lie of omission perhaps, but he could have told her.

            Fitz pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and started off to find Olivia. He looked in the bathroom but didn’t find her. He walked slowly down the steps and saw her through the window. She was standing on the deck wearing nothing but his sweater from the night before. She was breathtaking, he thought. He wondered what she was thinking then decided he was afraid to know. He stepped softly out onto the deck, feeling the cool morning air hit his chest and legs. She didn’t turn around but kept looking out over the backyard.

            Olivia had awakened with the sun; she had the sudden desire to see the sun rise. She felt it apropos that she watch the birth of a new day as she felt like she was a changed woman. She had never been the type for a one night stand; she was too measured, too calculated. But there was something about Fitz that drew her to him. He was so strong and confident, well-spoken and intelligent, and though she would never admit it to Abby, he was the sexiest man she had ever seen up close. She pulled on his sweater before she stepped outside, holding it close around her and taking deep inhales of his scent. When she heard him step onto the deck and close the door she couldn’t turn and look at him. She felt shy and she worried that he would see her in the light of day and regret what happened between them. She pulled the sweater tighter, suddenly chilly then his arms were around her waist and his proximity warmed her.

“Good morning Beautiful” he kissed her neck, the taste of her conjuring memories of their night of passion.

She slid her arms over his, a content smile on her lips, “Good morning”

“How did you sleep?” he sounded worried as if he was responsible for her.

“Better than I have since we started shooting the show” she admitted, “Better than I have in a long time.”

            Fitz liked the sight of her in his sweater, too big for her in every direction yet she seemed at home in it. He recalled that her panties were still on his bedroom floor and felt an involuntary rise in his boxer briefs. He pulled her flush against him, running his hands up the front of her thighs lifting the hem of the sweater to her hips. Her breath hitched at the rush of cool air, his touch, and the exposure. Her head instinctively dropped back to his shoulder exposing her neck to his tormenting tongue. He stroked his hands across her lower abdomen blurring her senses momentarily before reality hit her from a distant corner of her being.

“I have to go home and shower before work” she whispered, “I have to be on the set at nine.”

“Shower here” he took her earlobe between his teeth.

“I need to get clothes” she protested.

“You need to get your car too” he reminded her, “So shower here and let me make sure you get home okay then we’ll pick up your car on the way to the studio.”

            She nodded, in that moment she would have agreed to anything he suggested. He cooked breakfast though she didn’t eat very much. They talked comfortably as they ate. She watched him as he put a strawberry into his mouth remembering his lips touching all over her body. She felt her stomach tighten into knots at the memory of their shared passion. She managed to nibble on a piece of toast and a few berries. She smiled when she thought about his comment about her beauty being distracting. He didn’t seem to appreciate how distracting his beauty was, his movements were so effortless and he seemed largely unaware of how people stared at him. She certainly enjoyed watching him.

“Help yourself to the shower” he said as they returned to his bedroom, “I’ll grab you a towel.”

“Aren’t you going to join me?” she didn’t intend to sound coy but realized that it came out that way. He cocked an eyebrow gauging her intentions. Without a word he pushed his boxers down his legs and onto the floor. Her gaze automatically went to his erection, the night before it had felt huge pressed into her and her view this morning confirmed her earlier appraisal. She shyly lifted his sweater over her head and he fought the urge to reach out and touch her flawless breasts. He realized he wasn’t sure where they stood, he wasn’t sure what he was allowed to do, if he was allowed to touch her the way he had touched her the night before. He stared for a moment before turning his gaze and turning on the water in the shower.

            Olivia wanted to touch him; she wanted to feel his warm skin against her. She took a tentative step towards him and placed her palm on his bicep. He turned in her direction in surprise. When his eyes fixed on her he saw a mix of emotions in her mocha eyes, passion, lust, desire, hesitation, and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He closed the distance between them and touched his lips to hers. She felt a surge of yearning from her fingers to her toes. He was slow and deliberate in his advances; he wanted to be sure she felt comfortable telling him to stop if that was what she wanted. She deepened the kiss and moved her hands from his upper arms to his strong chest then his ass. He marveled at the power of such a small hand. She felt the swell of his erection pressing against her hip. Her hand softly encircled it and stroked leisurely. His groan echoed through her encouraging her own when she felt herself grow wet against him. He slid his lips along her jaw then down her neck to her collarbone. Fitz reached down and picked her up, gripping her ass in his powerful hands. Soon her back was against the wall and he was thrusting into her. The size of him stretching her walls and the way his free hand traveled over her skin coaxing her deep desire. The night before had been about making love to Olivia and making her feel safe. Their morning was about his need for her and her desire to confirm that the night before wasn’t simply a fling. He ran his teeth down the supple skin of her neck, leaving behind crimson streaks. She dug her nails into his shoulders then dragged them mercilessly down his back.

“Livvie” she heard him growl as he picked up the pace of his stroking. He pressed her harder against the wall, needing to be closer to her body. He wanted her to understand this was so much more than he had given a woman in a long while. He needed her to believe that what they had was something special and real. He wanted to be part of her and make her a part of him. She began to tug at his ear with her teeth then she teased the curve of his ear with her tongue.

“Fitz we need to get a shower” she didn’t want to be late for work.

“I need to make love to you,” was his reply as his free hand found her breast, branding her nipple with the traces of his thumb. His words caused all of her inhibitions to disappear. She needed him too. She needed to feel connected to something real. She wanted to find someone in Hollywood who was genuine and honest. She moved her hands to the back of his neck letting her eyes slip closed as she rode him closer to her orgasm. He was already feeling better acquainted with her body as he felt her walls begin to squeeze him. Her legs held tighter around his waist and his thumbs pressed harder into her hips. He heard her breathing increase then a cry of ecstasy, fingernails dragged down his back, and teeth sunk into his shoulder. The contact of her teeth pushed him into the abyss and he felt his legs buckle slightly. She slowly unwrapped her legs from his waist and stood resting her cheek on his chest. He stroked her slightly damp hair.

“You are so sexy” he breathed against the top of her head, “Are you okay?”

“Fine” she breathed. He shivered at the rush of her breath over his chest. They stood like that for several minutes, regaining control of their breath, and appreciating the closeness of their bodies.

            They showered, washing each other, taking every opportunity to touch.  Olivia pulled on her clothes from the night before as she watched Fitz pull on a fresh t-shirt and jeans. The shirt hugged his defined muscles and she blushed at the sight of the small love bite she had left on his shoulder. He watched her dress, noticing her blush, and thought about the color of her skin when it glowed after their lovemaking.

X-X

            Olivia relaxed against the car seat with a deep sigh, allowing her eyes to flutter closed.

“You didn’t get enough sleep last night” Fitz whispered moving his hand to her thigh. She smiled at his touch.

“No, I had plenty of sleep” she looked over at him.

“Then why the sigh?” he smiled a relaxed sexy smile.

“I’m content” she turned her eyes from him, not sure if the statement was too much too soon.

“Me too” he admitted, “I feel so relaxed. I wasn’t sleeping before…ya know…” his voice trailed off.

“Me neither” she put her hand over his on her thigh, “The show is really stressful.”

            She knew she was admitting something to him that she’d never spoken aloud. She didn’t like to show her insecurities but Fitz put her at ease and made her want to share things.  They arrived at her condo and she changed into jeans and a fitted shirt. Fitz sat on her couch and waited for her. He noticed pictures of her with an older couple who he assumed were her parents. Her condo was exactly as he imagined, feminine with a soft color palette. A kind of effortless beauty like its owner.

“I don’t think we’ll have time to pick up my car” she said walking out of the bedroom still pulling her shirt down over her torso, “I think you’re going to have to drive me.”

            Fitz was momentarily distracted by the sight of her exposed abdomen but recovered to answer, “Are you sure? People might talk.”

“So we tell them you gave me a ride home from the bar because I’d had too much to drink then picked me up this morning” she smiled and kissed his lips quickly, “it’s not a lie.”

            He thought the gesture seemed so natural, like they’d kissed a thousand times. He liked the ease with which they interacted and felt his fears ease slightly about how they would navigate their relationship.

X-X

            Olivia had just finished her scenes and was anxious to see Fitz. They hadn’t shared any scenes so they had little opportunity to see one another. She nearly ran to his trailer, looking to be sure no one saw her slip inside. She frowned slightly when she didn’t find him. She sat for a moment on his couch remembering their first clumsy touches the day before. A smile met her lips and she looked around for a pen and paper to leave him a note. She noticed a few pictures of Fitz with two pretty young girls and several more with just the two girls. There seemed to be a resemblance between Fitz and the girls and she wondered if they were related. She finally found a pen and jotted a note, laying it on his couch before reaching for the door.

            Fitz had asked Olivia to meet him in his trailer when she was finished shooting for the day. He had ventured to the set to watch the end of her scenes but found that they were already finished for the day so he rushed back in the direction of his trailer. He was out of breath when he reached for the door handle and was almost knocked over when the door opened and Olivia nearly fell out the door.

“Olivia” he said startled.

“I was just leaving you a note,” she tried to recover.

“Come in” he motioned for her to go back inside. She complied.

            He picked up the note and read it, a smile forming on his face, “Did you just leave me a note with your cell number and ask me to call like this is some kind of booty call?”

            Olivia blushed, “I didn’t mean…this is…I don’t know how this works” she finally managed.

“You’re always tongue tied when you’re in my trailer” he moved towards her, taking her face in his hands, “and this works however you want it to.”

“Well, I know this might sound strange but are we dating?” she tried to look away from his crystal blue eyes.

“Is that what you want this to be?” he brushed his lips against hers.

“Yes” her voice was barely a whisper. Then she recovered her composure, “I don’t want you to go out with other girls.”

“Done” he answered quickly, quicker than he had intended. He kept breaking all of his own rules.

“Okay” she smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.

“Okay” he replied.

            They sat on the couch and talked about their day. Olivia talked about a tough monologue that she had trouble with and Fitz spoke about his scenes. Fitz enjoyed just being close to her. They sat snuggled together as they talked and it felt so natural. He noticed her gaze move to the four pictures he had on a shelf and felt he owed her an explanation.

“Those are my daughters” he said standing and bringing the most recent picture back to the couch, “Heather is twenty-one and Ellie is eighteen.”

“I didn’t know you had kids” she whispered, a tendril of fear rising in her stomach as she realized how little she really knew about him.

“They are my greatest accomplishments,” he was clearly a proud father; “They’re smart and beautiful and just really good people.”

            He loved to talk about his girls and he was willing to tell Olivia anything she wanted to know. He also knew that telling her about his daughters was the first part of telling her the entire truth. Fitz couldn’t believe that he’d let a woman into his life. Even though she had only taken a small step in she was there and he worried that she would run.

“Are you going to the Glamour party tomorrow night?” he asked as a means to change the subject and refocus his thoughts.

“I wasn’t planning on it” she said, “I’m not that into the whole big party scene.”

“You should go,” he said then paused, “We should go together.”

“I thought we were trying to keep things quiet?” she asked.

“So you go by yourself and I go by myself and then we just run into one another” he smiled and took her hand in his kissing her knuckles.

“It sounds like a huge party, how will I find you?” she asked.

“I’ll find you” he breathed against her neck causing a wash of desire to envelop her.

“What are you doing tonight?” she bent her lips to touch his cheek. He quickly moved to align their lips wanting to taste hers.

“I’m taking you to pick up your car, then I’ll make sure you get home safely” he kissed her again.

“Such a gentleman” she smiled.

“Then maybe you’ll invite me in…” his hands slid over the crest of her hip and to her ass. She tried to formulate a witty reply but found herself lost in the sensations of his touch. He had the uncanny ability to make her feel both very intelligent and utterly stupid at the same time. She lost her words around him and he was able to completely erase her mind. They fell to the couch kissing and allowing their hands to wander all over one another’s bodies.

X-X

            Olivia and Fitz went to dinner then he took her back to her car and followed her home. They spent another evening in one another’s arms talking about everything and anything that came to mind. They talked about their childhoods and their families. He asked her about her interest in wine, one that she had inherited from her father. She asked to hear more about his daughters and he happily obliged. He rarely discussed his daughters with anyone but his closest friends but he wanted Olivia to know them. He thought about the day she might get to meet them, it was both scary and exhilarating.

            She looked through her closet for a dress to wear to the party the next night. Fitz had gone to refill his glass of wine while she looked. When he returned he found her rifling through a section of dresses in the closet. She turned as she saw him approach, “I don’t have a dress for tomorrow. Looks like our date is off.”

“No way,” he smiled with a kiss to her lips, “We’ll get you a dress.”

“I guess I could just go to some shops in the morning” she said.

“Olivia, you’re the star of your very own show,” he sounded stern and business-like, “You cannot wear a dress off the rack. You need vintage someone or something from someone’s private collection.”

“I don’t have time” she said, “Off the rack is my only choice.”

“Perhaps before you met THE Fitzgerald Grant” he laughed, “You heard Abby last night, I’m no mortal.”

            Olivia found herself laughing harder than seemed appropriate, “Some kind of superhero?”

            He captured her lips and ran his hands from the side of her breasts to the top of her hips. Doe eyes looked back at him and he moved his lips to her cheeks and her jaw and her neck. It seemed every minute he spent with her he discovered some piece of her that he was desperate to learn more about. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Olivia Pope.

X-X

            Olivia woke up the next morning tangled in soft cotton sheets and Fitz. The sheet wrapped their legs together as she lay splayed across his chest. She moved to get up but he rolled her under him, “I’m not letting you go anywhere” he rested his weight on his elbows as he hovered above her.

“You have to let me get a dress for tonight” she replied trying to wriggle away.

“It’s taken care of” he grinned a boyish grin, “Your choices will be here later this afternoon.”

“How did you do that?” she was shocked.

“I have a really cool sister who owns her own vintage clothing resale business” he kissed her lips, “She will find you the perfect dress.”

            Olivia pulled him against her, feeling the weight of him press powerfully into her. She felt like she could kiss him for days without stopping. She loved the feeling of him against her. She wondered how long they could go on doing these mundane things before he became utterly bored.

“Does she find dresses for all of your girls?” she had no idea where the question came from let alone how it escaped from her mouth.

“Olivia” he sighed in frustration, “I told you that this isn’t a fling. I don’t do this. I don’t let people into my life. I don’t spend the night with women. It’s all an image, like another part I play.”

“Okay,” she felt sorry for saying it, “I guess I just don’t understand. If you’re really this nice, sweet, kind man why do you want to be seen as a player?”

“That’s not exactly what it’s about” Fitz kissed her cheek, “I’m from a famous family and I go to a lot of events. I never intended to get serious with anyone so I take different people to events. The press made it into me being a serial dater, a player, whatever.”

“Why don’t you want to get serious with anyone?” she ran her fingers through his curls, examining his striking features up close.

“I just didn’t feel like I could” came his carefully crafted answer, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“What do you want to do?” she found herself flirting.

“Not talk” he grinned trailing kisses down her neck and between her breasts, “Is that okay?”

“Mmm hmm” she smiled as the effects of his touch filled her.

X-X

            Olivia stepped from the black SUV and walked towards the throng of people entering the Glamour Magazine party. There were cameras everywhere and she felt slightly overwhelmed as suddenly she heard her name being called and photos snapped left and right. She smiled in a Ferragamo gown, hoping she would find Fitz quickly once she got inside. As the next star stepped forward and she moved into the party her nerves eased slightly. She was surprised at how many people she would consider famous greeted her by name. She still thought of herself as relatively unknown in Hollywood and felt lucky to have been cast in her own show.

            She looked around the party and spotted Fitz at the bar chatting with an older woman. He didn’t see her so she started to make her way over to him. When she reached him he was just taking a swallow of scotch.

“Olivia” he smiled when he saw her moving towards him, “You look beautiful.”

            He kissed her cheek and ran his hand down her bare back to where her dress began. He felt anxious, he knew why, and hoped that she wouldn’t notice.

“Hi handsome” she smiled kissing his cheek, “You look great all dressed up.”

“I clean up pretty well” he grinned, “Can I get you a drink?”

“Thank you” she smiled as he turned to the bartender. He handed her a glass of wine and just smiled down at her. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I want to kiss you so bad, Olivia.”

            She blushed and felt wetness pool between her thighs, “I want to kiss you too.”

“Come sit with me” he took her hand and pulled her towards a couch in the corner of the room. They talked closely, trying not to look too cozy. He introduced her to friends that approached. The longer they talked and the more people she met the less anxious she felt. Several times she laid her head on his shoulder and he found himself kissing her cheek and touching her thigh at increasing intervals. As the party began to wind down she had her head on his shoulder and he rubbed her back as they sat enjoying being close. Olivia noticed the older woman Fitz had been talking to earlier. They woman was moving in their direction. She felt Fitz’s hand leave her back and he stiffened slightly. She lifted her head and looked at him questioningly.

“Are you okay?” she asked as the woman reached the couch and stood in front of him.

“Olivia” his voice sounded strange to her and she felt a nausea rise, “this is Megan.”

            Olivia stood and shook the woman’s hand. Then the woman spoke, “His wife.”

            She felt her knees almost buckle and wasn’t sure whether she would pass out or throw up. She looked at him and immediately saw a look of apology in his eyes. He looked afraid and sorry and crushed. Part of her wanted to collapse into his arms and part of her wanted to run. Part of her was angry but another part was confused and sad. She didn’t know what was happening but she knew she needed space so she ran. She moved quickly towards the door and out to the curb willing the car to come quickly. When it did she nearly jumped into the backseat as Fitz came running out the door, “Olivia” he called behind her. He caught the door before it closed, determined not to let her get away from him without an explanation. She fell into the seat sobbing.