Chapter 5
As Olivia walked with her sisters toward the boat waiting at the hotel jetty, she couldn’t ignore the somersaults in her belly,
much as she wanted to.
She’d spent far too long last night dreaming about sex. Specifically, sex with a blue-eyed, hard-muscled man who moved his
body in a way that had made those dreams X-rated. For a woman who enjoyed sex like she enjoyed a bubble bath—it was a pleasant
way to relax—experiencing her first erotic dream was unnerving.
“You’re quiet.” Ashley prodded her in the side. “You’d better not be thinking about work.”
“I’m not.” With a start she realized she’d not checked the markets this morning. God, what was wrong with her?
“Bloody hell, that’s a first.” Ashley gave her a sly smile. “Wonder what else could possibly have grabbed your attention.”
“Just thinking how lovely it is to be spending time with my family.” She returned Ashley’s smile with a bright one of her
own. “And how grateful I am that you persuaded me to come.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something?” Her gaze followed Olivia’s, and a huge grin split her face. “And now I
know exactly what you were thinking about on the walk here. And probably all of last night. Especially when you slipped into
your bed and stared forlornly at the empty space beside you.”
Olivia groaned. “For the love of God, stop!”
“What are you guys talking about?” Jessica came to an abrupt halt on the steps and started to laugh. “Well, well, well. Looks
like we have ourselves a hot chef for the day.”
Waiting for their party on the wooden jetty next to the smart white motorboat were three men, all under thirty. One wore a
white shirt with gold epaulets, two wore white chef’s jackets. But only the tall one drew her focus. Only he made her heart
skip a beat when his ocean-blue eyes found hers.
Connor began to stroll toward them with the loose-limbed understated swagger of a model walking the catwalk.
Beside her, Chloe sighed. “That there is BDE if ever I saw it.”
Olivia glanced sideways at her. “Sorry?”
“Big-dick energy. You know, the natural, easy confidence of a man who’s got a really big—”
“Yep, think I’ve got it. Thanks, Chloe,” she muttered, hating the way her heart raced as Connor sauntered toward them.
“Ladies.” He flashed his smile, eyes resting on each of them in turn, yet when he came to hers, he lingered a few beats. Long
enough for a flush of heat to creep up her neck. “Luca and I will be catering for you today, and we have Ned as our captain.
We’re here to make sure you have a fabulous day, so if you need anything, don’t be shy in asking.”
“Anything?” Chloe grinned.
He laughed, low and sexy. “We’ll do our best to accommodate your requests.” Yet again his eyes found hers. “Anything you want,
you let me know.”
She could feel the blush scald her face. She didn’t react like this, ever. What was wrong with her?
He waved toward the boat. “Let’s get this boat party started, yes?”
Letting out a series of whoops, Sophie and her friends scampered toward the boat. Ashley threaded her arm through Jessica’s
and marched on ahead, leaving Olivia to bring up the rear. With Connor.
“My sisters are nothing if not determined,” she grumbled.
Connor dipped his head so she was forced to look into his eyes. “Morning, Livvy.”
“I should refuse to talk to you unless you use my proper name.”
“Feeling a bit tetchy today, are we?” He grinned. “We’ll soon take care of that.”
She had a sharp response ready on her tongue—something along the lines of being in charge of her own mood—but he took hold
of her hand and the words got stuck.
Involuntarily her eyes fell to where his tanned fingers clasped hers and then drifted up along his forearm to where a pair
of veins twisted around the muscle. For the first time she spotted a tattoo on the inside of his arm, the name Ellie written inside a heart. Old girlfriend? It should have put her off, but her eyes greedily continued their path up toward
the biceps that bulged beneath his rolled-up sleeve. God, stop ogling.
She snapped her head back up, only to meet his amused blue gaze. “Anything you want, Livvy,” he repeated in a voice that sounded like dark, sultry evenings and dirty secrets. “You just let me know.”
She swallowed, fixed her eyes straight ahead. “What I’d like is a cup of coffee. Black, no sugar.”
Laughter shot out of him. “If you think that aloof crap is going to put me off, you’ve no idea how determined I can be when
I see something I want.”
They reached the boat and he helped her board, the feel of his hand warm and strong as it wrapped around hers.
She didn’t know what to make of his interest or her body’s strong reaction to him. He was a million miles away from the previous
two age-appropriate men she’d dated. Ashley’s words from yesterday floated back to her. It’s time you went out with someone you don’t want to like. A man you’re drawn to despite what your brain is telling you.
Deliberately she removed her hand and made her way over to the rest of the party.
Conversation bubbled around her as the boat set off across the harbor. A few minutes later, a cup of coffee was pressed into
her hands from behind. “To help smooth out the tetchy.”
She looked over her shoulder, and her gaze clashed with a pair of amused blue eyes.
“Thanks.” Quickly she turned back before she made the mistake of smiling. It was wrong to encourage him when she had no intention
of taking him up on his offer.
Nicole looked longingly at Connor’s taut back as he walked away. “If you won’t, I will!”
“Yeah, he’s stupid-hot,” Chloe added wistfully. “Wish he’d smile at me like that.”
“I wish he were smiling at you too,” Olivia muttered under her breath.
Thankfully, the Connor appreciation club decided to go and sun themselves on the front deck, ending the conversation.
Or not, she realized with a sigh as Ashley and Jessica stared at her thoughtfully. “Do you wish he’d turn his focus to Chloe or are you secretly enjoying the attention?” Jessica asked.
It was hard for her to lie to people who’d known her all her life. “It’s nice to be found attractive, obviously. But it’s
also . . .” She struggled to find the right word to describe how she felt.
“Scary?” Ashley supplied.
She didn’t like that word. “I don’t scare easily.”
“Yet here you are, pretending not to like a guy you’re clearly attracted to.” Ashley patted her arm. “It’s only us, Liv. You
can admit the truth. I know I was bloody terrified when I went on those dates after the divorce.”
“And you regret them.”
“No.” Ashley stared out across the bustling harbor. “I don’t regret the dates. I regret not being pickier about who I slept
with. I should have waited till I found a man who made my knees buckle, my heart race,” she added, looking back at Olivia
knowingly.
“I like . . . no, I need to be in control,” Olivia said, grimacing as she realized it made her sound like a diva. “The last guy I slept with and the
one before him—you were right, they were nice. Professional like me, my age. I knew who they were, what I was getting into.
Connor is uncharted territory. I’m worried I won’t be the one calling the shots and I don’t know if I like that.”
Jessica smiled. “As a mum who seems to be controlled by her kids rather than the other way round, I get it. But controlling
every aspect of your life makes for no excitement, no surprises. It sounds a bit, well, dull.”
“Dull suits me.” When they started to shake their heads at her, she put up her hand. “Hey, dull doesn’t mean unhappy. Believe
me, I can’t control work as much I’d like to, so that leaves plenty of excitement. Especially when the markets are volatile.
Speaking of which, I’m just going to check in with my associates before we lose the signal.”
She ignored their groans of disapproval and walked to the other side of the boat to check her email. How was she expected
to relax and enjoy herself if she didn’t know what was going on in her real life back home?
Connor slid the muffins and doughnuts onto two plates and re-jigged them so they looked more presentable. Did they look mouthwatering?
A perfect accompaniment to a boat tour around Nantucket?
Or did they look like a mess of dough and sugar?
Fuck, why was he stressing so much?
“They good to go?” Luca reached for the plates, but Connor batted his hand away. “Not yet.” He added a handful of blueberries
and strawberries to each, then sieved a fine layer of icing sugar over the top. “I’ll take this one to the group at the back.
You can serve the sun worshippers.”
Luca grinned. “Suits me.”
After taking a quick photo for his Instagram, Connor picked up some napkins and made his way toward the back where he’d left
the other members of the party sitting. Damn, only two of the sisters were there. Had he made the wrong choice—was Olivia
up front with her niece? But then he caught sight of her, sitting alone, head down as she scrutinized her phone. Her hair
was tied back again, her shorts tailored and just above the knee.
“Ladies.” Ashley and Jessica smiled, but Olivia ignored him, so he cleared his throat. “That includes you, Livvy.” She jerked
her head up and shot him a dark look, which made him laugh. “Rules of the boat: No staring at your phone.” He waved his hand
toward the Brant Point Lighthouse that stood proudly at the entrance of the harbor. “We don’t want you to miss all the beauty
Nantucket has to offer.”
“Bloody hell, not you as well.” She shook her head and turned back to her phone.
He cleared his throat again, smiling as she gave him another glare. “Phone down, Livvy, or I take this plate of sugary goodness
away.”
“That’s not fair,” Ashley protested.
He nodded solemnly. “I agree, but blame your sister, not me. She’s the one stopping me from leaving them on the table.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Olivia shoved the phone into her pocket and stomped over to them. “These had better be worth it.”