Chapter 2 #2
“Hey, Connor, good to see you made it, man. You want a beer?”
Connor reluctantly dragged his gaze away from the woman with the almond-shaped hazel eyes and back to Luca, who appeared to
have abandoned the group of women he’d been talking to when Connor arrived and was now sitting at the bar. “Thanks.”
What he really wanted was to go and sit next to Olivia/Livvy. He’d been here a week and could confidently say that Nantucket
heaved with attractive women. But it didn’t heave with women like her. Understated, dressed not to attract the opposite sex
but almost to deter them, he thought, remembering her plain black swimsuit from earlier. Tonight’s choice of black blouse,
neat cropped white trousers, an almost makeup-free face, and brown hair scrunched into a simple ponytail made her look like
she was dressed for work, not a party. In the midst of a sea of tightly fitting outfits in bold summery colors showing ample
amounts of flesh, she stood out. She might be hiding her body, but she couldn’t hide her killer cheekbones, her pale, flawless
smooth skin, and the full, soft lips that were a pretty pink even without lipstick.
He sighed as he settled onto the bar stool. She was more than likely a guest, and hadn’t he reminded Luca earlier about the
no-fraternizing-with-the-guests rule? Besides, he could usually tell when a woman was interested, and she wasn’t. Hadn’t stopped
him making a twat of himself and telling her he was. Yet with only three weeks left of being a carefree, single bloke, he’d
be mad to waste an opportunity. It was the reason he’d ignored the unlikely appeal of his lumpy bed and instead thrown a couple
of painkillers down his throat (to help with the pounding headache) and come to join Luca after his bar shift. “Live for now”
was his motto. Life could change in the blink of an eye.
“Where did your friends go?” Connor asked Luca.
“You mean the girls? Said I might catch up with them later.” He grinned. “Thought I’d keep my options open, you know? See
if I get any better offers.”
Behind the bar, Annika smiled, her eyes drifting to Connor. “Me too.”
Annika, a stunning Swede, had been flirting with him since he’d arrived. A year ago, he’d have taken her up on the offer.
He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t, except that, though sex was still definitely on his Nantucket wish list, it wasn’t all he wanted.
He was after conversation, a connection. Sure, a connection between the sheets, but also over a lazy lunch, a beer while watching
the sunset. A companion to explore the island with.
Maybe he was finally growing up—yeah, he could hear his parents laughing in disbelief.
An image of Olivia popped into his mind, those intelligent eyes, the cool keep-your-distance manner that, bizarrely, made
him want to do the opposite.
“Yo, Connor, where have you gone?”
He shook himself. “Sorry, spaced out for a moment. Still waiting for last night’s hangover to get lost.” He took a cautious
sip of the beer in front of him.
“I was saying, I think you’ve got an admirer.”
His head turned so fast in the direction Luca was looking, he almost saw stars. But when his brain settled back in his skull,
it wasn’t a cool brunette’s eyes his connected with but a bouncy, smiling young blonde’s. She gave him a little wave. He tried
not to look too disappointed as he nodded.
Luca smirked. “If you take her back to ours tonight, make sure you’re not too loud. Those walls are paper-thin.”
Didn’t he know it, especially as all he’d been doing in his room was sleep. Then an attractive girl with wide dark eyes and deep brown skin walked up to the bar and
smiled at Luca, and it was all the encouragement the man needed. Connor almost laughed at how quickly he’d been dumped.
He was about to down the rest of his beer and give tonight up when he spotted Olivia hovering in the doorway, staring at him.
A moment later she drew back her shoulders and marched up to the bar.
“I’m here to order more drinks.”
He blinked at her abrupt announcement. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
She let out a sharp-sounding breath. “Sorry. I just wanted to make it clear I’m not here for you.”
Well, okay. That put a pin in his ego. “Let me guess, your well-meaning niece and sisters volunteered you to get another round.”
“Yep.”
He studied her, wondering why he was so drawn. “Is it me you’re not attracted to or the idea of a holiday fling?”
It was her turn to blink. She’d probably hoped he could be dismissed quietly, but quiet wasn’t his style. He liked to know
where he stood and wasn’t afraid of a bit of confrontation to find out. “Can it be both?” she asked.
“Sure.” He was a second from sliding off the stool and leaving—he didn’t push against closed doors, at least not where women
were concerned—when she spoke again.
“How old are you?”
“Old enough to know what I want.” He looked her straight in the eye. “I’m twenty-eight.”
“You realize I’m a lot older than you.”
That got a laugh out of him. “You realize I don’t give a fuck.”
Clearly not unnerved by his vulgar language, she gave him a small smile. “Well, maybe I do.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own. “Why are you hitting on me?”
“Because you intrigue me. Because you’re by far the most attractive woman I’ve seen in a long time. Because I know I’d enjoy
getting to know you, and I think you’d find I’m not as awful as you’re expecting. Because if I can get a woman as smart, as
sophisticated as you to spend an evening with me, it would be the highlight of my time here.” And maybe mean I’m not such a fuckup after all.
“I’m not expecting awful.” A small frown appeared between her eyes. “That’s the wrong word.”
“What’s the right word, then? Shallow? Dull? Immature?”
“You make me sound very judgmental.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand your objections so I can work round them or plow through them.”
She shook her head. “I’m really not worth all that effort.”
“Because you’re totally uninterested? To be clear, any other interpretation is bullshit. If I thought there was the remotest
chance you’d go to dinner with me, I’d spend however long you’re here trying to impress you.” Hotel rules be damned.
It was like she didn’t want to smile but her mouth did it for her anyway. “You’re good for my ego.”
He wanted to reply that he’d be good for her. That he’d help relax her, loosen her up, because she seemed too tightly wound to be healthy. Alas, Annika chose that moment
to serve her.
“At least let me bring this back to your table,” he said a minute later, picking up the freshly filled party bucket.
“I’m going to get ribbed again.”
“Something tells me you can hold your own.”
Her expression softened for the first time, and the smile she gave him was more genuine, reaching her pretty eyes.
They walked side by side toward the door. Unable to resist, he dropped one hand from the bucket to lightly touch the small
of her back, indicating that she should go first. And he enjoyed hearing her sharp intake of breath as his fingers met the
warmth of her skin beneath the silk blouse.
Following her outside, he let his gaze fall to her bum. Fuck, he wanted to slide his hands over those pert curves, feel them
pinned against his groin . . .
“Yay, it’s the sexy drink carrier again!” The niece, he thought, and reluctantly dragged his eyes away from Olivia.
“Go, Liv!” someone at the table shouted. “If you don’t, I will.”
Clearly alcohol was loosening tongues that had already been pretty loose.
Olivia looked stricken. “Sorry—”
“I’m flattered,” he interrupted, staring directly into her eyes, feeling his heart thump that little bit faster as she stared
back. “You mind if I keep trying?”
Her face relaxed and she gave him a small smile. “I’m not going to stop you massaging my ego.” For a few beats they stood
watching each other. She seemed to be doing an inventory of his face, as if trying to work him out. “FYI, I’m not totally uninterested.”
The rush of pleasure he felt was totally out of proportion to the backhanded compliment. “Then maybe I’ll look out for you
again.” He paused, making sure to catch her eye. “And be warned, I’ll be out to impress.”
A faint flush appeared across her cheeks and she nodded before turning back to the table.
He walked away with a little more sway to his hips than usual, aware there could be half a dozen women watching him. And crossing
his fingers she was one of them.