“Of what I’m fighting for.” He threw a kitchen towel over his shoulder.
“And what’s that?” I knew his tone had changed. I knew the atmosphere was thick. I knew I was drawing emotion from him, but I couldn’t stop.
“Normal.” He leaned against the counter. His arms crossed, forcing his sleeves to widen against the strain of
his biceps.
“Normal,” I whispered.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “This. Late dinners with wine on rainy nights by the ocean. It’s something worth fighting for.”
I swallowed another sip, knowing it wasn’t the wine setting my blood on fire. It was him.
7
Jake
I stared across the kitchen. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and take her upstairs. Take her to bed. Take her to my kind of heaven. She was everything I fought for. Everything I needed. All I could think about was claiming her. But I crossed my arms, forbidding that to happen.
God, she was my best friend’s sister. I couldn’t tell her how I was feeling. Hell, I didn’t quite understand what was happening. I had to fucking figure it out before I did something I regretted.
“Thanks again for dinner.” I tossed the towel by the sink. “I think I’ll call it a night so I can get an early start in the morning.”
“Oh right.” She jumped from the table. “I haven’t been in the apartment in ages. Let me get some things together for you.” She raced past me.
“I don’t need anything,” I protested, but she returned with an armful of blankets and towels.
“Here. I think this should be enough,” Olivia offered.
I wasn’t about to tell her I could sleep just as comfortably with my head on a rock. “Thank you.”
I pulled the blankets against my chest, brushing her hand in the process. It felt soft and delicate. I almost groaned at the contact.
“Oh, wait.” She rushed after me before I reached the front door.
I turned, suppressing the growl that was rising in my chest. Her auburn hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her breasts bobbed just in front of me. I wanted to reach out and touch her. Run my hands over her skin. Run my tongue over her mouth and throat.
“What is it?”
“There’s no plumbing out there.” She grimaced. “Sorry. It’s the part that never got finished. Elliot always thought he would get to it.” Her eyes filled with sadness and my chest tightened.
“Looks like another project to add to the list.”
“You can use the guest bath down here.” She pointed into the darkness. “I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”
“Thanks.” I opened the door. If I didn’t get out of here, I wouldn’t be able to reel myself back in.
“Good night, Jake.”
“Good night, Olivia.”
I climbed the stairs to the second floor of the barn. There was a light switch at the top of the staircase. The room was finished off, but I could see where the bathroom had been plumbed, but no fixtures were installed.
I looked around the room. There was a single window at the end of the room. There was a bed pressed against the wall and a dresser on the opposite side. I dropped the sheets and towels on the mattress.
I looked out the window. From here I could see the back of the house. There was a single light on upstairs. Olivia’s room. I lowered the blinds and turned toward the bed.
Sleep. I needed to sleep. Hopefully it would quiet my longing, and all the feelings that had surfaced since I laid eyes on Olivia.