Declan helped Livy retrieve her coat and then led the way to the waiting car. The ride back to the house was done in complete silence, although he didn't seem that angry, which surprised her. Livy did her best to appear as if she was unaffected by his sudden presence by looking out of the window, but it was a wasted effort because he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at his phone. 

When they arrived, Declan opened the car door himself, too impatient to wait for the driver to do it, then he held out his hand waiting for Livy to take it. She did so with hesitation only because she was afraid not to acknowledge the gesture. He followed her up the front walk of the house, reaching around her to open the door.

As soon as her coat was removed she immediately headed for the stairs and her room, but Declan's hand clamped down on her arm. "Not so fast Livy, we have to talk." In much the same way that Nelson had done earlier, he guided her by her elbow, directing her towards the study, closing the door behind them. But whereas Nelson's touch had been a vague warm pressure on her arm, Declan's touch made her shiver just a little.

"I thought I would change first," she insisted, wanting to put off the inevitable.

"But you look lovely as you are Livy, shouldn't I, as your future husband, get as much enjoyment out of your appearance as your friend Nelson did?"

"Why do you do that?" She frowned as she sat on the edge of one of the chair across from his desk.

"What?" he asked as he untied his tie and unbuttoned his collar.

"Why are you so condescending towards me? You treat me as if I am a child."

He let his eyes travel over her for a moment before returning his gaze to her face. "You do look lovely and at the moment there is nothing childish about you, except perhaps your naivety."

"Am I really all that naïve?"

"God, yes." He rubbed his hands over his face. "Your ability to trust astounds me."

"I trust you, are you saying I shouldn't?" her voice was almost a whisper. This was the first real conversation she had ever had with the man, and there was an undercurrent to it that she was trying desperately to understand.

"There are plenty that will tell you not to." He crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, his long legs almost touching hers.

"My father trusted you." She watched as a sad smile came to his lips.

"He was one of the few people that ever has."

Livy studied him, it was the first time that she had ever seen real emotion on the man's face that wasn't anger.

"How did you meet my father?" She stood up and joined him at the desk, mimicking his stance, their shoulders brushing. For some reason, she felt the action put her on more equal footing with him, she didn't feel as if she was being lectured.

"I met him about twenty years ago. I was working on one of his ships and I became aware of...a person who was stealing from him. I informed him of the theft personally and he was thankful. After that we just sort of fell into a friendship that eventually led to his helping me in many different ways. I only hope that I was, am, able to repay some of his kindness. Without him I would have nothing." The last sentence came out strained and harsh, as if the reality of the statement was an unwelcome thought.

"And that's why you agreed to marry me?"

"That's one reason," he frowned.

"What's the other reason?"

"Oh, there are many reasons," he gave a half smile.

"Fine, what are the reasons?" She crossed her arms this time, not willing to back down. This was her life that they were discussing and she had a right to know.

"Believe it or not I have always liked you, you were a little hooligan when you were younger and your antics amused me, I enjoyed watching your father reconcile who he wanted you to be with who you were, you were one of the few things in his life he couldn't control."

"It never felt that way." She shook her head. "I always felt powerless, he never let me choose anything in my life, the only real choice I got to make was college."

"Art." He nodded. "He was proud and upset with you for fighting him so hard on it."

Livy gave a sad smile as she remembered. "I know, he wanted me to focus my studies in math since that's where my strengths were. If I could do it all again I probably would have gone to Harvard." She realized the mistake as soon as she said it. She felt him grow still beside her, she could feel the tension in him.

"Harvard? He never mentioned it."

"I never told him that I was accepted, I may have had an aptitude for math and business but I had no interest in it. He wouldn't have given me a choice."

He stood up straight and moved to the other side of the desk. "You always have a choice Olivia!" He shook his head in disbelief. "Why do people always use the excuse that they didn't have a choice for the mistakes that they make."

"I didn't have a choice." She kept her back to him, looking at her hands clenched in front of her.

"Yes, you did!"

"He wouldn't have paid-"

"Then you get off your lazy ass and pay your own way. Not everyone is born with a silver spoon; there are plenty that have to pay their own way in this world and they manage to do it."

"Like you, I suppose?" Her voice was high with unshed tears. She knew he was right, it was hard to hear, but she finally did.

"Yes, like me!" He charged around the side of the desk, grabbing both of her arms with his hands and pulling her into the standing position. His height made her have to lean her head back to look up at him. "Is that why you're insisting on continuing to date Taft, because you feel you want the right to choose? You think that by marrying me your losing your choice?"

She didn't answer as she looked at him, and he gave her a little shake.

"No!"

"No?"

"I've made the choice to marry you, I've made the choice. If I didn't want to marry you I would just leave." Her eyes met his with complete honesty.

"Then why are you insisting on a relationship with him?"

"One date does not a make it a relationship!"

"Fine, then why are you insisting on dating him at all?" His hands tightened on her arms. He wasn't hurting her but he was making sure that she wasn't going anywhere until he got the truth.

"I was watching Garrett-"

"Garrett? Do you have a thing for him too?" His eyes widened.

"Now you're just being an ass Declan," she hissed, but he didn't let go of her arms.

He closed his eyes as if reigning in his temper. "Fine, I'm an ass – what about Garrett?" he asked between clenched teeth.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter." She tried to push him away but he wouldn't budge, instead he stepped closer, locking her hands between them.

"Olivia, please continue." He said after taking a deep breath.

She also took a deep breath and something between them shifted. She was in his arms, being held by him, and it was more than just nice; it was thrilling.

She licked her lips before she continued, her voice dropping as she tried to catch her breath. "The way Garrett looks at his wife, as if what she says matters, as if she matters, that's what I want. My father saw a little girl to be coddled and protected, you see an immature brat, all I really want is for someone to see me."

"But who are you Livy? Do you even know?"

"No, but maybe Nelson can be one more experience to help me figure it out? Maybe he'll see me."

"Why, because you both have so much in common or because he makes love to you, kisses you?" Declan's eyes dropped to her lips and Livy caught her breath at the heat she saw there. "I find it hard to believe that the two of you have very much in common, and I can kiss you Livy."

He pulled her closer, letting one hand slide up to her neck and the other slide around to her lower back.

"Declan-" she didn't know if she was begging  him to stop or or pleading with him not as his lips claimed hers. He wasn't harsh as she had expected him to be, he was gentle and slow as if he was sipping a fine wine. Livy only held firm for a moment before she melted into him. Nelson's kiss had been pleasant but Declan's was heart stopping. She felt her knees give way as she landed against him and he deepened the kiss as he felt her response.

When he suddenly pushed her away and turned his back towards her she was shocked and confused. "Declan?"

"I think you should go to bed Livy, we'll talk more tomorrow." She could hear the stress in his voice.

"But-"

"I really do have some work to do and I think we both need to think about what we really want."

"Are you saying that you're no longer willing to marry me?" The thought made her panic. What would she do if he changed his mind.

"No, I'll honor my promise, but you need to decide if you will be able to honor your promise to me when you take the wedding vows?" He walked briskly back to his desk opening his computer and turning it on.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you went from one man's arms to another tonight without batting an eye." 

So he had seen them through the window.

"Are you implying that I'm unable to control myself?"

"Implying? No. Stating, yes. Why don't you think about it and let me know?" He said, focusing on his phone which had started to vibrate.

She was still shaking from his kiss and he was acting as if it had never happened. She didn't think she was the one with the loose morals, but she was too mad to say anything. She stared at him until he looked up at her, arching his eyebrow as if waiting for her to say something more.

Not trusting herself to say anything, she turned and walked away, suddenly feeling as if she was the more mature one.