Bad Boys Do (Donovan Brothers Brewery 2)

Exhausted as she was, she was having a great time. “Okay, but something small. The merry-go-round.”

“God, no. Not unless you want to see me puke.”

Olivia stopped in her tracks. “You’re kidding. The merry-go-round makes you sick?”

Jamie glared. “What? It’s the spinning. Not, like, the gently bobbing horses.”

“First, you’re ticklish, and now this?”

“Just keep it quiet, all right? I’ll lose my man card.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ve got a permanent membership, Mr. Donovan. No one can ever take that away from you.”

He pulled her out of the flow of traffic, tugging her hips into his. “Ms. Bishop, you’re not implying something vulgar, are you?”

She leaned closer and let her breath chase over his ear, knowing that he’d shiver at the feeling. “Absolutely not. It’s not vulgar.” She brushed her lips against his ear. “It’s gorgeous.”

Jamie growled before he let her go. “How about the Ferris wheel?”

“Can you handle that, big guy?”

“Stop trying to flatter me.”

Olivia grinned at him over her shoulder and set off toward the Ferris wheel. “That wasn’t supposed to be flattery.”

“Sorry. You said ‘big guy.’ That’s all I heard.”

When they reached the Ferris wheel ten minutes later, her cheeks ached from laughing. What was it like to be Jamie, so carefree and easy? So confident and cheerful? She relaxed into the rocking seat with a sigh of happy relief.

The first high turn was a frightening thrill, but after that the ride turned peaceful. She laid her head on his shoulder and watched the city rise and fall before her. At the very top, the breeze was brisk and cool, but Jamie’s arm was pure heat draped around her. She felt as if she could simply curl into him and fall asleep.

On their fourth rise to the top, the wheel slowed to a stop, leaving them stranded in the sky as more passengers boarded. Silence settled over Olivia and Jamie, as if time had stopped and left them rocking.

“This is nice,” he said, his thumb stroking her shoulder. “It’s beautiful.”

It was. The setting sun had dipped behind a bank of clouds, leaving them with a perfect view. Olivia looked out over the city, to the mountains beyond, and she thought of leaving it behind. She could simply get in her car and drive. Through the mountains, across the desert, all the way to the ocean. And that didn’t scare her. Not at all.

The night before, she’d lain in bed for hours, poking and prodding at her psyche, trying to puzzle out her fears. And it had finally hit her.

“Jamie,” she said softly.

“Hmm?”

“I told you I never wanted to be a teacher.”

“You’re good at it, tho

ugh.”

“Maybe, but I never wanted it. Ever.”

The wheel began to turn again, pushing them toward the mountains, then sinking them to the ground.

“You wanted to work at restaurants?” he asked.

“Yes. I grew up around restaurants. My parents were investors, and over the years, they were partners in several places. We went out to eat constantly. But the part I always liked best was before the restaurant opened. The excitement of the new idea. The brainstorming and planning. Watching as an empty space was made into something beautiful. The thrill of opening day, all of it sizzling with the risk of failure. That was what I wanted.”

“So, what happened?”