Chapter 21
ETHAN
I scanned the hotel suite. The enormous room was decorated in yellows and was the complete opposite of the room where Olivia and I had spent the morning. A huge, inviting bed waited on one side of the room, opposite a sitting area.
“This all right?” I asked.
She gestured to the opulent room. “Yeah, I think I’ll survive.” She took a few steps forward, moving as if she were going to sit on the couch, but a thought interrupted her. “Are you sure Munich is the best place? Is this safe for me? For you?”
No, of course it wasn’t, but Gio had thrown a fucking wrench into my plans that were already in motion.
“Gio won’t be here until the morning. Just keep your distance from the Dunns, and I’m sure we’ll be fine.
You know how the Abramos are. They don’t pay attention to the people they think are beneath them. ”
I studied her long locks of dark brown hair, evaluating, and she didn’t seem to like that. “What is it?”
“Changing your hair wouldn’t hurt. You could probably go lighter and have it look natural.”
She sucked in a breath. “How light? I don’t want to go blonde.”
I blinked away my knee-jerk annoyance. With everything else happening, this was a concern?
But her expression was odd. She hadn’t lied, and yet there was something buried in her statement. Anxiety? “Are you that married to being a brunette?”
“I happen to like how I look, but I’m not stupid. If you want me to change it, I’ll change it.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed the spot on my forehead that ached with exhaustion. I didn’t want her to change the way she looked. “Don’t misunderstand me. I happen to like the way you look, a lot, but this is a good idea.”
I stood across the room from her, but I saw the reaction in Olivia regardless. She always seemed lost when I told her she was beautiful. Almost as stunned as I was every time it came out of my mouth. Had no one told her that before? Maybe I’d keep saying it until the shock wore off.
Well, there was a dangerous thought.
“I’ll get someone to come by,” I said, “and bring you what you need tonight.” Since she had nothing except the clothes she wore and the backpack Fletcher had given her.
“You’re not staying?” Immediately, she looked like she wished she had the words back. “Of course you’re not staying, I don’t know why I said that. Go.” Her voice was strong and her eyes clear. “Make Gio pay for what he did to my crew.”
There was a pang of reluctance in my center. “If you need to get in contact, text me with the phone Fletcher gave you. Something short and innocuous.”
“Okay.” Her green eyes kept my feet planted on the floor, unable to move. “Good luck, Ethan.”
It was suddenly difficult to find words. I wanted to kiss her. When would I get a chance to again?
“Fucking hell,” I swore. It was the only warning I gave before storming over to her, grasping her face in my hands, and slamming my mouth over hers.
Unlike last time, Olivia was ready. She tunneled her fingers through my hair, holding me tight. Her lips parted and welcomed my tongue, and when she moaned, I began to falter. Maybe I could stay for a little while. Five minutes, ten minutes tops.
She turned her head to the side, breaking the kiss, but I continued anyway, my lips descending over her jaw, down the soft skin of her neck. My hands settled on her waist, where the embrace felt natural and right.
“Tell me,” she said between hurried breaths, “something you’ve never told anyone else.”
I paused, lingering with the tip of my nose just beside her ear. “What?”
“I don’t know anything about you.” Her hands coursed down the back of my neck, her arms resting on my shoulders. In response, I slid one hand up her spine until I could tangle it in her dark hair.
“You already know a lot about me.”
“Tell me.”
I drew back so I could see her reaction. So she could watch me and know it wasn’t a lie. “All right. I drink bourbon when I’m missing home.”
Her mouth tumbled open in surprise. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” I silenced her next question with my lips.
Her arms locked tighter around my shoulders, and she rose taller so she could press her body against mine.
She had to be standing on her toes to do it, and I was filled with the desire to lift her into my arms and carry her to the bed.
I wanted to peel our clothes off until nothing was left between us, and fuck her until I was the only thing she remembered about South Africa.
But there was so much happening that was bigger than us, and I had to deal with it first.
“Do you want to stay?” she whispered.
I groaned at the question. Every passing second the illogical part of my brain made more sense. “Fuck, yes, but I can’t.”
I wrapped my hands around her wrists when she set her palms flat on my chest. Could she feel my heart banging against my ribs?
“Okay,” she said. “When will I see you again?”
I gave her the most honest answer I could. “I don’t know.” I brushed my lips over hers in a final kiss, then forced myself to step away before giving her the answer I wanted most. “Soon.”