Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Olivia
There’s a promise laced into his words, but there’s hesitation in his eyes and his touch.
His hand is still resting on the small of my back, but his gaze is searching mine for something. There’s a question there that he wants to ask me. I sense it.
“Alexander!” A man’s voice startles us both enough that we pull apart.
Alexander rakes his hand through his hair, causing the strands to take their own liberties. He doesn’t look as put together as he did on stage. He’s imperfect now, in the most enticing way.
“This is only going to take a minute, Olivia.” He looks over at two older men in black suits approaching us.
One is waving frantically, while the other follows closely on his heel.
“That’s my music teacher from grade school and his husband.
I invited them tonight. I need to spend a few minutes with them. ”
I smile. “He must be so proud of you.”
“He taught me a lot.” He moves his hand to touch my forearm. “He taught me to respect music, to honor its unique voice. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
I inch back when the two men reach us. The one who was waving frantically takes Alexander’s hand, patting him on the bicep. “Would you look at you? I always knew this was your destiny.”
“All thanks to you, Chris.” Alexander smiles at him before he turns to the other man. “It’s good to see, Wayne.”
“You too, Alexander.”
I start to inch backward on my heels, realizing that this is a private moment that I shouldn’t be witnessing.
“This is Olivia Hull.” Alexander shoots me a smile. “Olivia, this is Wayne Rollington and my hero, Chris Morgenson.”
I shake both men’s hands, wondering if they’ve jumped to the incorrect conclusion that I’m more to Alexander than an acquaintance.
“I got your text message earlier.” Chris shoves both hands into the pockets of his pants. “I have to say that I didn’t know if you’d want to help us out, Alexander, but I’m grateful.”
“Me too,” Wayne adds. “We didn’t know what to do until you came along.”
“It’s not a problem,” Alexander says brusquely. “We’ll work out the details via text.”
Chris nods as if he’s reading between the lines. “That’ll work.”
I bow my head. Whatever they are discussing is private. It’s not meant for my ears.
These men don’t know me, so I’m not surprised that Alexander feels the need to keep the conversation limited to the three of them.
“We won’t keep you two.” Chris squeezes Alexander’s shoulder. “You’ve done well for yourself, Alexander.”
“You had a hand in that.”
Chris laughs. “I taught you the basics. You took that knowledge and ran with it.”
“We’ll be in touch.” Wayne extends his hand to Alexander and then me. “It was good to meet you, Olivia.”
“You too,” I say softly as they walk away.
Once they’re out of sight, Alexander’s hand is back on the small of my back.
His touch ignites something within me. I know he can feel it.
“I don’t want another interruption.” His voice is low and rough. “Let’s get out of here.”
I suck in a trembling breath. “You want to leave?”
“I need to leave,” he corrects me. “I want to be alone with you.”
He’s not outright suggesting that we go back to his place, but the implication is there. I’m not ready for that.
“There’s a wine bar a few blocks from here. It’s quiet.” I take my fate into my own hands. We can share a drink, maybe a first kiss, but getting naked with this man tonight isn’t going to happen.
My body wants it, but it’s too soon. Regret will crawl into bed with me the moment he rolls out of it.
His jaw flexes. “Lead the way, Olivia.”
“You were serious when you said this place is quiet.” Alexander shrugs out of his jacket and hangs it over the back of a chair. “How in the hell is a place like this not packed on a Friday night?”
It’s a good question that I don’t have an answer to.
Kate and I stumbled on this wine bar months ago after we exited a movie theater. We stopped in to have a glass of chardonnay, and it’s now become one of our favorite haunts in this part of the city.
It’s quaint, quiet and the selection of wine is extensive.
A few of the stools next to the massive bar are occupied, and two of the square wooden tables are surrounded by groups of people, but this corner where we situated ourselves is unoccupied if you don’t count the couple who are staring into each other’s eyes, oblivious to everyone around them.
I took a seat at a table diagonal from where they are.
Alexander didn’t say a word as he held the back of my chair when I sat down.
He was considerate enough to help me with my trench coat as I slipped it off my shoulders.
After carefully folding it in two, he laid it over the back of the same chair where he just placed his tuxedo jacket.
Alexander’s mouth quirks when he sees a server approaching our table. “You’ll order for us both, Olivia.”
I don’t hesitate in telling the server what I’m in the mood for. I listen to her recommendations. Not one of them fits the bill of what my palate is craving.
I can feel Alexander’s eyes on me when I finally suggest two glasses of a dark red that Kate and I sampled a few weeks ago.
“You know your wine,” he says when the server walks away. “I’m impressed.”
“That I drink a lot of wine?” I lean back in the chair.
He shakes his head and glances down at where I’ve placed my hands on the edge of the table. “I have a question.”
“Ask away.”
His eyes narrow. “Are you involved with anyone?”
The question catches me off-guard although it shouldn’t. He doesn’t know my relationship status. He’s never asked and I don’t think Trey would be quick to offer up a detail about me that’s so personal.
“If I’ve overstepped,” he continues, his lips inching up into a smile. “You’ll forgive me.”
He’s so confident. I’d find that annoying if he weren’t sexy-as-sin.
“I’m not involved,” I say directly. “Are you?”
He holds my gaze before he answers. “No.”
I’m tempted to ask him about the woman in the red dress that I saw him with at the cocktail reception, but I won’t. That was a private moment between him and someone else.
“You’ll come home with me tonight, Olivia.”
My brows pop as I replay the words in my mind. There wasn’t a question mark at the end of that sentence. He’s assuming that I’m going home with him.
He looks calm and controlled as he stares at me across the table.
“No. I won’t, Alexander.”
His jaw clenches. “Have I misread the energy between us?”
I suppose it’s a better response than why, although it’s just logistics. He wants an explanation for why I’m not willing to jump into his bed tonight.
I look up as the server places a glass of wine on a cocktail napkin in front of me before she does the same for Alexander.
She waits patiently for me to sample it, but I know if I pick it up now, I will down the fragrant red liquid in one gulp.
“It’s fine.” I smile at her. “Thank you.”
She glances at Alexander before she nods silently and leaves.
He takes a healthy sip of the wine, his eyes locked on mine the entire time.
“Olivia,” he begins as he lowers the glass. “I want…”
“I don’t sleep with men I don’t know.” I gloss my tongue over my bottom lip. “We just met.”
He inhales deeply, his gaze dropping to the wine glass in front of me before he looks into my eyes again. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
It’s not the reaction I anticipated. I thought we’d finish our drinks, part ways and that would be the end of my story with Alexander Donato.
“Don’t look so surprised, Olivia.” He leans in closer to me. “You’ll get to know me better and then we’ll revisit this discussion.”
“This discussion?” I parrot back.
“My intense desire to fuck you isn’t going anywhere.” He moves so his lips are almost touching mine. “We’ll have dinner tomorrow and take it from there.”
I pull back so I can find some air to breathe that doesn’t taste like him. “I won’t sleep with you tomorrow either.”
The corner of his mouth twitches into an almost smile. “Duly noted. I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock tomorrow evening.”
“You don’t know where I live,” I point out, feeling a blush taking over my cheeks.
“You live somewhere in the vicinity of Broadway and Eighty-first.”
“How do you know that?”
He takes another sip of the wine before he answers me. “I overheard you telling it to the cab driver outside the pub.”
He remembered?
“You can tell me your address or I can ring the buzzer of every apartment in every building on that block until I find you.” He drops his voice. “Your choice.”
I can’t help but smile. “I’ll tell you my address.”
He slides his fingers across the screen of his phone. “And your phone number.”
I give both without hesitation, watching as he enters my information into his smartphone.
Once the phone is back on the table, he lifts his wine glass in the air. “Let’s toast to getting to know each other better.”
I lift my glass and clink it against his.
The wolfish grin on his face is telling me that tomorrow night will be just as interesting as tonight has been.
I can’t wait.