I lunged across the couch and tackled her, loving her laugh, loving the way it stroked across my skin, bringing it to life. Everything about Olivia brought me to life.
“This old man is about to beat you in strip poker,” I declared. We’d had fun playing games all day, and playing one where it got us both naked was everything I needed.
“I need more clothes,” she protested.
“I only have a watch and a towel. It’s a fair match.”
“Fine.”
Three rounds later, I was only in my towel and she in her underwear. She lost her towel first and then her bra, and now her damp hair hung past her shoulders, playing peek-a-boo with her nipples. I wasn’t even sure what I had in my hand, all my attention focused on just a glimpse of her creamy breasts.
I needed this game over with. Now.
I swapped out two cards and held back my victorious smile. Skin prickling with the end in sight, I prepared my plan for when she finally lost those panties.
“Lay ‘em out. Let’s see it.”
When she still didn’t, I pried my stare away from her breasts to find her blue eyes locked on mine. The blue swirled with a dark mix of serious and a hint of light laughter.
“Can I say I don’t want you to go?”
It took me a moment to process her question. Apparently, while I’d been lost in coming up with all the dirty things I was going to do to her, she’d gone somewhere else—somewhere more serious. She phrased the question so lightly, but I could hear the nerves shaking her voice. I knew Olivia censored her words with me. I knew there was a whole new depth of meaning and feeling behind her aloof answers, but I always let it slide. If she wanted to talk about something, she knew she could.
But I saw what the question cost her—what it revealed. She wanted to let me know she would miss me but didn’t want to give in to make herself vulnerable with a direct confession.
Giving her the same reprieve she gave me earlier, I kept my response light and playful.
“Of course, you can. It inflates my old man ego.”
“Shut up,” she laughed, throwing her cards down. A pair of twos and two kings.
Only gloating a little, I laid down my four aces. The air thickened with what was to come, a slight flush of her cheeks, her nipples pebbling between the strands of her hair.
“Come here.”
When she finally stood before me, I gripped her hips and held her stare, deciding to make myself vulnerable enough for the both of us, “I’ll miss you too, Olivia.”
18 Kent
The words on the screen blurred together. I’d been staring at the damn inspection report for hours, and it wore on me. It probably didn’t help that I was running on an hour of sleep. I’d caught the red-eye from New York so I could be here for the inspection.
Vivian was supposed to do it, but her husband had a heart attack scare yesterday, and there was no way in hell I’d ask her to leave his side.
The silver lining in the whole mess: Olivia. I could at least take my time here to see her—to feel her in my arms. Half the reason going through this report was taking so long was because I kept getting distracted looking up at every person walking through the door. She should be arriving at any moment, and I had the perfect view from one of the offices.
Every molecule in my body was on high alert to get to her and to lose myself in her. I was exhausted, and the thought of her eased some of the never-ending pressure from the week.
My phone ringing pulled my eyes from the door.
“Kent,” I answered.
“Hey, man,” Daniel greeted. “How’s New York?”
“It was cold, but I’m actually back in Cincinnati. Had a last-minute change and needed to be here for the inspection.”
“Shit. That sucks.”
I breathed a laugh, pressing my fingers into my eyes to ease the headache brewing. “That about sums it up.”
“Did you get a chance to visit the possible site of the new club? I thought it could really work with the location and size. It’s two stories which opens up a lot of layout opportunities.”
Daniel managed the club and bar—the day to day tasks, while I focused on acquisitions. I’d never had a problem with the roles we fell into. But last night, when I got the phone call saying I needed to fly back, I felt every one of my thirty-eight years, the exhaustion settling heavy into my bones.
I’d craved Olivia more than I’d ever craved anyone, I’d wanted to call her at midnight on my way to the airport just to share the shit that was going on—let her be there with me just so I wasn’t so alone in the stress of the day.