Chapter 246 - First Dibs

The following morning, Ava woke up with a sore body. Every time she moved as much as an inch, a jolt of pain would course through her entire being, reminding her of how crazed her night was.

"Sweetie," she croaked, praying Oliver would hear her call of distress. She cupped her throat with her hand. It felt scratchy and parched from all the singing in the great room.

The memory of their impromptu concert brought a smile on Ava's face. As she lay flat on the bed, daydreaming of last night, her face blushed as her thoughts spiralled to images of her and Oliver in the confines of their bedroom.

She thought it wasn't just the singing that made her throat dry. It was also how Oliver made sure she uttered his name in incantation with every punishing thrust he doled out to her.

Suddenly, the bed dipped, and the smell of shower gel permeated the room. It snapped Ava from her trance. "Good morning, sweetie. Rise and shine! We have a big day today." Oliver greeted, wrapping an arm on Ava's.

For a stolen moment in what would be a long day, Ava took p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in drinking in her husband's face.

He was still in his robe. His hair was wet and slicked back using his hand as a comb. "I love this," she told Oliver, cupping his face with a hand.

On cue, Oliver dipped his head, c.a.r.e.s.sing the scruff and stubble against the length of Ava's neck. He smiled upon feeling her knees tent under the duvet.

"That's ticklish," Ava giggled. It was when Ollie gripped her waist that Ava winced. "Ouch, sweetie. Not my waist."

Concern flooded Oliver's face. He yanked the duvet off Ava's body and he scanned her from head to toe. His jaw ticked when upon seeing light bruises from his rough handling last night formed on Ava's waist.

"I'll be gentler next time, sweetie," he promised, eye-to-eye at Ava.

For a second, Ava saw remorse flicker in Oliver's eyes. She then bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I asked for it anyway. Don't feel guilty about it," she said, hoping that somehow her words would relieve him from the guilt of marking her with his handprint.

A soft knock on the door snapped the couple from their tender moment. Ava pulled the duvet up to her chin and watched as Oliver opened the door slightly ajar to speak with the person who was knocking on their door.

"Those marines," Oliver scoffed. He hated how Wyatt and Maxen always woke up before sunrise. It was still six in the morning, for Pete's sake. And the sun was still rising above the horizon. Jeez.

He hated how Wyatt spoke with urgency as if their group was behind schedule for the wedding which was scheduled in the evening.

Stopping in his tracks, he smiled at Ava who gave him a shrug as if telling him there was nothing they could do about it. So he shook his head and quelled the anger that simmered in the pit of his stomach. He then peeled his robe off of his body and threw it in a bin.

One arm after the other, he donned his crisp white dress shirt as he spoke, "Wyatt said we need to leave before seven to prepare for later."

"Oh, right," Ava agreed. Since the wedding was a last-minute thing, they had to prepare earlier than usual.

Ava wrapped the duvet around her body and got up from the bed. She dragged the heaviness of her makeshift robe into the ensuite, stopping short by the vanity when Oliver cupped her nape with his hand.

"Whaaaat?" she asked with her head bowed and her eyes trained on the floor. She didn't want Oliver to see how red her cheeks were as the shame of her begging him last night plagued her thoughts.

Instead of responding to her question, her eyes closed when Oliver grazed his lips against hers, dotting her skin with goosebumps as she felt her heart ram against her ribcage. Soon, the duvet pooled on the floor, leaving Ava with nothing but her birthday suit.

"As it should be." A corner of Oliver's lips tugged up in a smirk, satisfied over his wife's n.a.k.e.d form.

"Sweetie," Ava breathed out, pouting at him. She crossed her arms to cover her c.h.e.s.t but Oliver just smirked at her.

"Ava, we've been married five years. You don't have to cover yourself when you're around me."

"But I'm shy."

"Okay, okay." Oliver chuckled. He bent and gathered the pool of duvet on the floor.

Wrapping Ava with it, and the couple laughed as he didn't stop until she looked like a roll of a burrito.

…

Hours later, Olivia woke up with Maxen's side of the bed empty and cold. Creases formed on her forehead but she quickly rubbed it off.

She expected Maxen and the rest would be out today to attend a wedding, and she shouldn't be sulking for being left out.

After all, had not that photo of him and Maxen in the bar surfaced, she would be accompanying Maxen as his date. She could still go ahead and join the group, but she knew that if she pushed through in attending the event, Maxen wouldn't let her out of his sight, and more photos of them side-by-side would be taken.

Olivia shot up from the bed at the sight of Eli's name flashing on her phone screen.

"Eli!"

"Hello, hello, Livi darling."

"Heeey, what are you up to today? Wait, where in the world map are you calling from?"

"London, darling. I'm here at a friend's boutique on King's Road."

Swinging her legs off the bed, she slid her feet into her fluffy bedroom slippers, walking to the ensuite as she spoke with Eli through the phone.

"Really? Do you mind if I tag along with you today?"

She heard him pause for a second. She prayed and prayed that Eli would accommodate her just so she wouldn't be alone for the remainder of the day.

"Is it my birthday or am I just lucky lad because Queen Bee Olivia didn't have other plans today?"

"Eli… I will always make time for you. You know that."

"I do," Eli trailed off. He was unusually chirpy, and it infected Olivia, painting a smile on her face. "As a matter of fact, I took the liberty of dumping my babies in Maxen's cabin earlier."

Slapping a hand on the marble vanity, Olivia watched her reflection in the mirror as her eyes widened in excitement.

"Are we playing dress-up today?" she asked, although she already knew what the answer to that was since Eli would always send her racks of clothing, giving her the chance of the first pick on his season's designs.

"Yes, we are. But… wait? Are you in the bathroom? Go change, Livi darling. I'll pick you up in an hour."

"What's the theme?"

"Oh, just wait and you'll see. And I'm a hundred percent sure that you're gonna love it."