New Year, New You, New Me

Chapter One

Belize
New Year's Eve

There was magic in the air tonight. It was dancing along her skin, electric, effervescent. Olivia guessed that it was around ninety minutes before midnight.

She could feel Fitz's eyes on her, even though he was half way across the deck where she'd left him leaning against the railing of the huge yacht that they'd boarded a few hours earlier. Olivia found herself momentarily caught up among the glittering groups of party-goers who had also been invited to this exclusive excursion and found herself laughing at the happiness all around her before she turned her mind back to her mission.

Her intentions had been to find a waiter and retrieve two more glasses of the excellent Dom Perignon Brut champagne that she and Fitz had been sipping on all night, but that - she thought to herself - was what she got for being impatient, for being greedy.

But then again, she'd been greedy and impatient for things other than champagne in these last few days, ever since she'd showed up unexpectedly on Fitz's doorstep. Or more truthfully, ever since she'd showed up on his private beach on this private island, seven days ago on Christmas Eve. That thought made her smile; she realized that she'd been doing a lot of that these last few days - and with good reason.

Olivia finally reached her objective; the waiters circulating among the guests carried trays varying from crystal, ivory, silver and gold, depending on the variety of champagne they held; the crystal trays carried the vintage she'd been seeking and she quickly caught the waiter's eye and collected two glasses.

Mission accomplished, she turned back toward the main source of her greed and impatience; Fitz was looking almost unfairly handsome in his ivory tails and tux and his gaze was focused directly on her as she crossed the deck to him.

"You know that I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave." Fitz's eyes were warm as they traveled up and down her body and his voice husky with heat and desire. "And you look twice as good when you return."

"Seriously, Fitz?" Olivia shook her head at him as if to scold him, but her laugh made the gesture a lie as he lifted her carefully - mindful of the drinks she held and spun her around slowly before setting her down again.

She was breathless - and not just from laughing - once again excited by the merest touch of his hands on her body.

"Seriously, Livvie." Fitz accepted the glass she handed him; their fingers brushed up against one another's as he did and just that quick, his heart beat a little faster - Olivia wasn't the only one affected by a simple touch.

Fitz's eyes sparkled with more than the champagne as he gazed down at her. "I just can't get over how amazing you look."

"Right back at you." She said, meaning every word. If he thought her beautiful, then he was the cause of it. Olivia had no doubt that she looked as elegant as any other woman aboard tonight. But beautiful? In her mind, what made her beautiful was the glow that Fitz's presence kindled in her.

She was dressed in white and gold, in a strapless gown that had reminded her of the one she'd worn the night Fitz had been shot the moment she'd seen it, the one that he'd never even had the chance to see her in, the main difference being that the silver-gilt embroidery was replaced with gold. It glowed warmly against her brown skin perfectly and even coordinated subtly with the stitching in the vest of Fitz's outfit. Olivia promised herself that she would tell him about the resemblance later, maybe, when the night was almost done. But right here and right now, she wasn't going to allow a single memory of sadness intrude on their night.

His reaction when he'd first saw her tonight was everything she had hoped for that long ago night, and everything she could have wanted on this one.