Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Atlanta—Present Day
The halls were quiet as Olivia made her way to Declan’s office, her nerves already jumping beneath her skin. The last week had proven to be her own personal blend of heaven and hell.
Over the past several days, she and Declan had two more meetings, and both times, Cecile was there. As hard as Olivia tried to stay impervious to Declan, the magnetic pull, that had existed between them from the moment they met, drew her. Olivia couldn’t stop thinking about him, and that was a problem.
Once the memo about severance packages had gone out, many employees grabbed the opportunity. Olivia admitted it was a generous package. More generous than it needed to be, which only furthered her confusion over Declan.
The hard, dangerous man she’d watched battle Chris Keller in the conference room was hard to reconcile with the man who made sure her employees weren’t left empty-handed. Declan wasn’t soft by any means, but he also wasn’t the monster she needed him to be in order to protect her heart.
Olivia had witnessed Declan be harsh and exacting, but she’d yet to see where he wasn’t fair. Most importantly, he didn’t automatically dismiss her ideas out of hand as she had expected.
She had been shocked when Declan agreed to implement an invoice tracking and accounting software system she’d been trying to convince Richard to buy for years. Olivia thought he would balk at the expenditure for a company he planned to sell, but after listening to her argument, he’d simply asked a few questions. Apparently she answered them to his satisfaction, because he turned to Cecile and instructed her to take care of it.
“Why do you look so surprised?” Declan asked, his enigmatic eyes on hers.
Olivia licked her lips, her eyes following Cecile as she left the room. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in spending money on improvements.”
“You made good points.”
Olivia was flummoxed. She wasn’t used to decisions being made so easily. Typically, she argued for months, if not years, to get anything substantially changed. Richard was stuck in his ways, and his favorite answer was, “but this is how I’ve always done it.”
“Thank you.”
Declan smiled, and her heart stuttered at how it transformed his face. “You don’t have to thank me, Olivia. It is a sound recommendation that adds value to the company.”
Warmth spread through her chest, and she smiled back at him before collecting her things. Olivia almost wished Declan would fight with her, so she could keep her focus on the company. To her dismay, Olivia realized that she looked forward to their meetings and enjoyed working with him.
She was going to end up with a broken heart all over again.
Earlier that day, Declan found her in the small second-floor kitchen. Olivia had just prepared her midmorning cup of tea when Declan materialized in the doorway. Stuart, animatedly updating her on his team’s breakthrough on a design, was oblivious to Declan’s arrival. But Olivia was aware immediately. She always was.
“So, this is where all the good snacks are,” Declan observed.
Stuart’s eyes widened, almost as if he couldn’t reconcile Declan in their tiny employee kitchen. Olivia didn’t blame him.
Declan sucked the air out of the room.
Dressed in a suit that cost more than her mortgage payment, Declan strolled toward the counter, inspecting the various glass jars full of snacks. He lifted the lid off one and pulled out a pack of cookies.
“This is a nice perk,” he said, tearing open the plastic wrapper with his teeth. “Is this something you’ve always done?”
Olivia’s eyes followed the action, and she swallowed hard as heat flowed down her spine to settle between her legs. She dropped her gaze to the teacup to hide her reaction, but not before she caught the glint in Declan’s eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
“That’s all Olivia,” Stuart enthused. “She always makes sure there are treats in here for all the employees.”
Declan glanced over at the rest of the selection. “What are these pink ones?” Declan plucked a package of candy out of a different container.
Stuart’s nose wrinkled. “Those are pure sugar. Too sweet for me.”
Olivia choked on her tea, watching in fascinated horror as Declan placed the small candy on his tongue. When he gave a small hum of pleasure, the sharp ache between her thighs intensified, and her breasts tingled. Olivia abruptly turned away, her face flaming.
“Pink is definitely my new favorite color.”
He was trying to kill her.
“The pink ones are definitely my favorite,” Declan said in a low voice, and she held in a gasp as he repeated the words in her head.
Was he remembering too? Had he said it on purpose?
Stuart made a comment about Declan’s sweet tooth, but Olivia had no idea what he actually said. She was too busy holding on to her composure and not melting into a puddle.
Slowly, Olivia turned back. Declan’s heated gaze met hers, and her heart beat in a slow, heavy rhythm, matching the need pulsing in her core. She couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Stuart walked toward the counter to top off his coffee. “Did you want some coffee, or are you a tea drinker like Olivia?”
Declan’s gaze dropped to her cup and then flew back up to catch hers. Air locked in her throat at his expression.
“Very pretty. Is that a flower?” Declan’s voice was husky.
Stuart grinned, not picking up on the buzzing energy suddenly filling the room. “Isn’t it pretty? It’s your favorite, right, Olivia? Or at least it’s the one she brings in the most often.” He chuckled. “She has an entire collection of them—rotates which ones she brings in.”
Shut up, Stuart.
A muscle in Declan’s cheek fluttered, but Stuart continued. “I really like the one with the hibiscus flowers she got in Hawaii.” Stuart watched Declan expectantly.
“It’s lovely.” Declan’s voice was bland, but his eyes burned into hers, sending her temperature skyrocketing.
“I always thou?—”
“Stuart,” Olivia’s said, sharper than she’d intended.
Color-tinged Stuart’s cheekbones. “Right. I better get back. I’ll send you a summary of what we talked about, Olivia.” He darted a quick peek at Declan. “Hopefully, it will help.”
“He’s in love with you.” Declan glanced at the door where Stuart had disappeared.
“Don’t be ridiculous, we’re friends. He’s worried I’m going to get fired. I think he’s trying to humanize me.”
Declan’s eyes touched again on the cup he had given her before saying, “I need to push our meeting until this evening, if that’s all right.”
Olivia hoped the slight tremble in her hand wasn’t obvious as she lifted the teacup to her mouth. “Of course.”
Get a grip, Olivia! Control yourself.
“Is seven o’clock too late?” Declan hesitated, the look in his eyes making it clear he wanted to say something else but was holding back.
Olivia roughly cleared her throat, breaking the intense moment, and made a beeline for the door. “Great. See you at seven.”
Was she a coward? Yes. Was she also in danger of spontaneous lust-fueled combustion? Also, yes.
Hours later, as she made her way to Declan’s office through the darkened hallways, Olivia wanted to kick herself. She shouldn’t have agreed to this meeting alone .
It will be fine, Olivia. Just do your job.
Olivia had brought Stuart’s report with her, hoping that if Declan saw there were other possibilities for Armstrong Electronics, he might hold on to the XEROS team to use for further development.
His outer office was dark, but the overhead lights in Declan’s were on.
See, nothing romantic. Nothing intimate.
Olivia stopped in the doorway, mesmerized by the scene in front of her. Declan sat on Kyle’s black leather sofa with his knees spread and elbows resting on powerful thighs. Dark curls had fallen over his forehead, and his hair was rumpled as though he’d been running his fingers through it. Open takeout boxes littered the granite table in front of him, surrounded by stacks of paper. Declan’s brow furrowed as he read a piece of paper in one hand.
He’d removed his suit jacket, and her mouth went dry at the defined muscles his tailored white dress shirt did nothing to hide. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing powerful forearms, and when he reached for another paper on the table, his shirt pulled tight across his flat stomach.
Cruel and unusual punishment , she thought, as an intense wave of heat swept over her. Olivia squeezed her thighs together against the ache at her core, resisting the urge to fan herself. Being physically close to him this week had wreaked havoc on her nervous system. Declan was overly careful not to touch her, but more than once she’d caught him watching with a hungry expression on his face that sent her hormones into overdrive.
“Hey,” Olivia said from the doorway, and Declan’s gaze rose to hers, a swift smile covering his face before he caught himself.
“I got us some food.” He gestured to the containers on the table. “I thought we’d eat while we work.”
That smile. Olivia’s heart lurched.
Forty-five minutes later, her feelings for Declan were decidedly different.
Declan’s expression was grim as he shook his head and frowned at the report. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I don’t see any way around it. We need to cut the entire division.”
“That’s fifty families.” After sitting next to Declan on the sofa, her patience and nerves were on their last legs. One hand was balled into a fist next to her, and Olivia was irritable and unsettled. Her skin felt like it had shrunk over her body, and she was acutely aware of Declan’s powerful presence and raw masculinity inches away.
Why does he have to be so stubborn?
Declan’s bicep flexed under his shirt as he ran a hand through his hair. Olivia tried not to squirm.
“It doesn’t make sense to keep it. There isn’t another design that is close enough to needing a prototype. They are essentially sitting there, doing nothing.”
“Stuart’s progress report said they’d be ready to start on a prototype by early March.”
“He says that, but being realistic, it could take longer.” Declan’s eyes were sympathetic, which for some reason made her angry. “Best case is at least two months. That’s too long.”
The subtext of what he was saying hit her. “You’re planning on selling before two months.”
It wasn’t a question, but the answer was written all over Declan’s face. “I said no one before thirty days. I never promised anything beyond that.”
Her brain scrambled. It’s too soon, a voice screamed in the back of her mind. But was her gut reaction because she was losing the company or Declan?
“What if you didn’t sell?” Olivia blurted out.
Declan sighed, and something unidentifiable crossed his face. “Olivia, I wish?—”
“What if we manufactured XEROS ourselves? That’s all you really want out of m… us. What if I can make the case that it’s more beneficial to manufacture XEROS in-house?”
Declan’s eyes met hers. The violet depths clouded with resignation and regret. Olivia pressed her lips together in a tight line, hoping it would hold off the panic growing inside her.
It will all be gone in less than two months.
He shifted to face her on the sofa, and Olivia glared down at the reports on the table, refusing to look at him. A hint of his cologne wafted over her, and Olivia suddenly wanted to cry.
There has to be a way.
Olivia knew the moment Declan stormed into the room last week that this was coming. The company would be gone. He would be gone again.
“Olivia,” Declan murmured, his voice soft yet insistent. “Olivia.” He repeated her name, this time with more command gently turning her jaw toward him with his pointer finger.
Sparks traveled from his fingertips through her body even after he lowered his hand. Olivia inhaled a slow breath through her nose and raised her gaze to meet his. Her heart lurched at the understanding she saw there.
The brave face she’d maintained for the last few years faltered. “I can’t let them down. Everyone is counting on me. If I hadn’t allowed us to get into this position, we could have manufactured XEROS ourselves. I should have made Richard listen to reason, reined in Kyle…”
Olivia trailed off, years of frustration roaring to the forefront of her brain. “I shouldn’t have tried to scale so quickly. We didn’t have the infrastructure in place, but I was convinced I would eventually make them see… but they were…”
“Idiots.”
“I was going to say stubborn.” Olivia rubbed a hand over her forehead, a dull headache starting behind her eyes. “The reality is, I let this business get over-leveraged, followed by a hostile takeover, and now hundreds of families will lose their income.” Olivia hated that her voice cracked on the last word.
Declan scooted closer, until his thigh pressed against the side of hers, the heat of it searing through her skirt. “This isn’t all on you. You were one vote. I’ve seen how this company was organized. Even though there is a nominal board, it was essentially completely under Richard’s control.”
Mortified, Olivia felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She would not cry.
“One of the first things we did was scrub the computers. I’ve seen all the emails… the projections, your proposals… all things that might have saved this company if Richard had listened to you. Not to mention, you were basically saddled with doing the job of COO as well. I have yet to see anything Kyle accomplished other than spending money. This is business. Sometimes it doesn’t end the way you want.”
“This isn’t just business to me. I’ve given everything to this company.”
Declan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she curled instinctively into his side.
“Olivia,” he breathed. His free arm wrapped around her, a large hand splayed across her back.
Olivia didn’t know how long they sat like that— Declan cuddling her against him. She didn’t want to think about how unprofessional it was, or how embarrassed she would be when it was over. She simply accepted the comfort he offered. Olivia closed her eyes, and let her head relax against his strong chest.
Just for a minute, she would let herself pretend—that they were still Declan and Rose, and her heart was safe with him.
Lips brushed the top of her head, and Olivia burrowed deeper as his fingers gently stroked down her hair.
“I know how business works,” she finally acknowledged. “I just can’t believe after everything, I failed them.”
“Ah, Petal,” Declan whispered, his cheek pressed hard against her hair. “I understand. More than anyone.”
Declan pulled back to gaze at her then, and a couple of the tears she’d kept at bay slipped down her cheeks. His lips caught one and kissed its trail back to the corner of her eye. Olivia’s breath caught.
“You’ve worked so hard,” he said against her temple. “This isn’t your fault.”
Olivia’s eyes fluttered closed at the sensation of his lips on her skin, but it was her own gasp, as his lips found the spot beneath her ear, that brought her back to her senses.
What am I doing?
Olivia pushed Declan away, and practically jumped to her feet. “Manipulating me by being nice won’t make me stop fighting for my company.”
Olivia knew she wasn’t angry with him, but it was easier to hide behind that emotion, than admit how she really felt.
“You show up and ruin people’s lives. People I care about. And you think, with a few sweet words and kisses, you can make me give up?” Her chest heaved as she glared down at Declan, her heart pounding with more than anger.
Declan pushed to his feet, muscles tight, standing so close she could feel the heat rolling off him. “You think I kissed you because I was trying to manipulate you?”
Olivia folded her arms tight across her chest, her pulse skittering frantically. “You’re the one who accused me of not being able to stay professional. So, what was that?”
Declan’s eyes glittered, his nostrils flared. His battle for control played out over his features, and she couldn’t resist jabbing him again. “You made it abundantly clear that what we had is over. You don’t get to play these games with me.”
Declan's hand shot out to catch her wrist, yanking her against his chest. Violet eyes flashing, he crushed his lips to hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. A guttural groan vibrated through him as he buried his hand in her hair. Olivia arched her back, and Declan's hand flexed on her hip before sliding lower, curving over her ass.
Olivia thrust her fingers into Declan’s hair, moaning as desire flooded her body. It had been so long since she had felt his mouth on hers. Too long. Declan’s heart hammered through the smooth fabric of his shirt, its hectic pace matching her own. She rolled her hips against his hard length, desperate for the friction they both needed.
“You taste so fucking sweet,” Declan rasped, as his mouth traveled to her jaw, nipping and kissing until he reached the pulse point fluttering madly in her neck. Jolts of pleasure shot through her when he set his lips over it and sucked. His grip held her tight as she ground her body against him.
“I can’t get enough of you. Can never get enough,” he growled, his mouth moving across her collarbone before dipping to the scooped neck of her sweater. “I dreamed of this skin.”
Olivia cried out, her head thrown back when he released her hair and kneaded her breast, rolling her nipple through her thin sweater. Need rushed through her body at dizzying speed, and her fingers twisted in his hair pulling his mouth back to hers.
Declan kissed her like he couldn’t get enough. The heat of his mouth devoured her. His tongue and lips claiming her, consuming her.
A tiny fission of unease snuck through her arousal, telling her to slow down. Because Declan was consuming her. It happened every time she was near him. Olivia forgot about the world around them. There was only him and the way he made her feel.
But most importantly, she forgot that Declan didn’t truly want her—not really. He’d made that clear.
Olivia pulled back, bringing her hands up between their bodies to push him back.
Her breath came in ragged, choppy gasps. “No.” Declan’s eyes were wild, almost black with arousal. “No,” she repeated.
Chest straining against his shirt as he tried to catch his breath, Declan’s arms fell away, and she instantly felt the cold of his loss. His hair was in disarray from where her fingers had tunneled through it, his face flushed. Her body ached with the need to press against him again, to put his hands back on her body.
“I can’t do this. I won’t let you use me again.”
Declan recoiled as if she struck him. “I never used you.”
“First, you pretend you don’t know me, then you tell me you remember but it meant nothing. Finally, you say it meant something, but it’s over, and I need to keep our interactions professional. And tonight…” Her voice broke. “You kissed me like you never wanted to let me go. I am not a toy, Declan. I don’t exist only when you feel like playing with me. I deserve more than that. I have to let you go,” she whispered.
Olivia avoided his gaze as she straightened her top and tucked her hair behind her ears. She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t risk him seeing how fragile she really was. Olivia drew in a deep breath and forced her gaze back to his face. “We work together, and you’re getting married.”
The muscle in Declan’s jaw clenched once, twice, and on the third flex, Olivia watched the walls slam shut in his eyes. She wanted to beg him not to go, but she bit her lip instead.
Declan’s face hardened. “You’re right. This was a terrible mistake,” he said stiffly. “It won’t happen again.”
A sharp burn took root behind her sternum. She was the one who stopped. So why did it hurt so much to hear him agree with her?
Olivia turned to go, but Declan caught her hand at the last second, drawing her to a halt. They stood in silence, their hands linked, but when she looked back over her shoulder, Declan wasn’t looking at her. His head was bowed, eyes fixed on the carpet in front of him. The air was heavy between them, and the ache in Olivia’s chest spread until it was hard to breathe. Declan squeezed her fingers and then released her hand, turning his back to walk to his desk.
Olivia was grateful she made it to her car before the sobs fought their way free.