Chapter 57: Subtle possession

“Subtle, huh?” Oliver murmured against her mouth. “I like that. Means I will have to work harder to keep up with my girlfriend’s sneaky possessiveness.” His tongue traced the seam of her lips before sliding inside to taste her more thoroughly. The wall at her back became an anchor as he pressed her against it, letting her feel exactly how much he had been anticipating this moment all day. When he finally pulled back for air, Oliver rested his forehead against hers while his breathing remained ragged. “The pizza will arrive soon,” Harper protested weakly. “And it is my turn to do the dishes.” Oliver groaned dramatically at the reminder of real-word responsibilities, setting her back down on her feet reluctantly. “Pizza can wait. Dished can definitely wait.” He checked his watch quickly before shaking his head dismissively. “Driver knows out address. He will leave it at the door if we don’t answer.” His hands framed her face again, thumbs brushing along her cheekbones as he studied every feature like a man memorizing his most precious treasure. “Besides,” he added with a wicked grin. “I would rather spend my evening exploring other appetites besides food.”

“So would I,” Harper said happily. “But I am more a do my chores first kind of gal. How about we get it all behind us, then we can spend the rest of the evening in my room…” Oliver let out a theatrical sigh but nodded in agreement, already moving toward the kitchen area. “Fine, fine. Let’s get this domesticity bullshit out of the way.” He rolled up his sleeves as he joined her by the sink, his broad shoulders easily blacking half the counter space. “But you are washing, and I am drying. No arguments about who is better at household chores.” His hands made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt cuffs before rolling them up to reveal muscular forearms dusted with dark hair. The movement was efficient and practiced, suggesting he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with household tasks. While she filled the sink with warm water, he grabbed a disk towel from a hook near the stove. “And just so we are clear, I expect you to make good on that promise about spending the rest of the evening in your room.” His voice carried a playful challenge as he leaned against the counter watching her fill the sink with warm water and soap. The casual domesticity of standing side-by-side washing dished felt strangely intimate given their professional dynamic during work hours. “Because if I have to stand here drying plates while thinking about what is waiting for me later,” he continued with mock severity. “I might accidentally drop one and blame it on distraction.”

“I promise to make good on my promise,” Harper said with a cheerful smile and started washing the dirty dishes. “Just out of curiosity, will you be staying the night or…” Oliver takes the first plate she finished washing and starts drying it off as he considered her question, a smirk spreading across his face. “Staying the night? Hell, yes you think I am leaving my girlfriend along in bed after all this buildup?” he set aside the plate he was drying and picked up another one. “The only way I am leaving tonight is if you physically kick me out tomorrow morning,” he stated plainly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Or maybe if there is an emergency at work that requires my immediate attention.” His fingers traced along the edge of the countertop next to her hip. “But honestly? I would probably ignore whatever crisis popped up just to spend another hour with you instead.” The pizza arrived during this exchange– a sharp knock at the door punctuated their conversation perfectly. Oliver quickly put down the plate he was drying and the dish towel and went to open the door.

A man wearing a bright red polo shirt stood by the front door. He has a matching red baseball cap on with a light, tan-coloured pants. He is holding a closed pizza box with both hands, the box is branded with a logo, clearly visible on top. The pizza delivery guy has a neutral fascial expression, a trimmed bread and Mustache and his gaze was directed toward Oliver, as he opened the front door. “Mr. Williams?” the pizza delivery guy asked. Oliver nodded and took the pizza from him. Oliver opened to pizza box to confirm it was the classic margherita pizza he ordered. “Thank you,” he said after confirming and then he pulled his wallet out of his pants pocket and handed the delivery guy a hundred dollar note. “Keep the change.” Oliver said quickly and closed the door just as the pizza delivery guys lighted up at the generous tip.

Oliver places the pizza box on the glass dining table with a definitive thud, the rich scent of the classic margherita pizza filled the apartment. “I was just wondering. Since you don’t have any clothes here. You will have to drive back home tomorrow morning to get a change of clothes…” Harper continued while still washing the dishes. Oliver leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his bare chest as he considered her practical concern. “Good point,” he conceded with a wry grin. “Guess I didn’t think that far ahead when I was picturing spending all night here.” He picked up a wet bowled and the dish cloth and began drying again. “Or maybe we could just skip work tomorrow? Call in sick together. Say we caught some kind of twenty-four-hour bug that requires horizontal recovery time.” For a moment, Harper considered his suggestion, but she knew if would look suspicious only a day after revealing their relationship to HR. Harper finished washing the last of the dirty dishes and Oliver dried them off. As soon as he was done, he dried off his hands with the dish cloth and placed it back on the hook. Oliver’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he settled onto one of the upholstered chairs, gesturing for her to join him. “Come on, live a little. What is one day of missed emails when you have a perfectly good bed right over there?”