Chapter 29 #2
“Get it together.” Wade gave a bland smile to someone in our group when they said something to him.
Gritting my teeth, I held back the guttural snarl that was desperate to break free as I watched Rowdy flirt with my woman.
And I thought Phoebe watching me with Olivia was going to be bad.
Looking at the way every man looked at her—running appreciative eyes over her body anda smiling when she smiled—I learned there was a new kind of hell on earth.
“We haven’t been there in ages. Have we, Ty?” Wade questioned with just enough force to break through the haze of red filling my vision.
“Guess we haven’t.” I had no clue what they were talking about but went along with it.
This set Olivia off, bouncing in her green dress, her body doing nothing for me, to start making plans for a trip to the beach in the new year when the weather warmed.
Mom chose that moment to come over and join us, Octavia at her side. She thought it was a fine idea for us to all go down to the beach and camp like we did when we were younger.
The entire time we talked, I kept track of Phoebe and, more importantly, every man who talked to her or danced with her.
Including Rowdy. The only reason I hadn’t stomped over and ripped his arms from his body was he kept his hands completely respectful when he touched her.
Even if he did send me a mocking smirk, which I didn’t appreciate.
“We should dance, Ty.” Olivia looked at me expectantly when the group around us dispersed.
“Of course, you should,” Mom agreed.
Just then a slow song came on and I grimaced. Seeing no way out of it, I took Olivia to the dance floor. Moving around, I tried to spy where my scribbler had gone. I’d lost track of her for a moment, and she’d vanished like the ethereal vision she was.
“I’m so glad you came with me tonight, Ty.” Olivia looked up at me, and I felt my spine stiffen. “I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk about what my being back here meant. For us, I mean.”
“There is no us, Olivia.” I’d thought I’d made myself clear this week when she’d shown up at Phoebe’s wanting me to leave and have lunch with her.
I was having Phoebe for lunch that day, so I declined, but not before I had a talk with Olivia on the front porch I was in the process of pulling apart. I’d been clear. All I saw was friendship between us. Not even that. And that had nothing to do with Phoebe.
“There could be,” she persisted. “I know how things were handled when we were in high school was…bad. But when I saw you at Christmas last year, I just knew there was still something there.”
I did a double take. How had she gotten that? I’d barely spoken to her, and had been sick as a dog, hopped up on cold medicine.
“It’s why I came back. I think we owe it to ourselves to see where these feelings can lead.” Without warning, she raised herself on her toes and tried to kiss me. “Hey!” she screeched, falling to the side, forcing me to catch her.
“Oops, sorry.” Rowdy grinned. “Guess I need to watch my surroundings more.” He gave me a pointed look that I couldn’t figure out. “Anyway, it’s a good thing I bumped into you. Orlando is looking for you, Livy.” Rowdy used the pet name he knew she hated.
“I’m in the middle of something.”
Oh, no she wasn’t.
“Actually, I need to talk to Ty about something.” Rowdy stopped dancing with his partner.
The hell he did.
Still, this was a chance to lose Olivia for a bit and find my scribbler, so I jumped on it. “You should see what your brother needs. It may be important for the party. I’ll just talk to Rowdy for a few minutes.” Those were words I’d never thought I’d say.
Olivia pouted, eventually moving off.
When she was out of earshot, Rowdy gave me a knowing look. “You owe me, asshole.” He turned and walked away without so much as another glance. I had a feeling my not investigating what he meant would bite me in the ass later, but I had a woman to find.
It took a couple of minutes, but I caught her coming out of the bathroom near the back of the house.
Coming up behind her, I grabbed her around the waist, murmuring, “It’s me,” in her ear when she went stiff.
Pulling her with me, I moved us into a closet I knew would be mostly empty. I may or may not have scouted around when I arrived for places I could lure my scribbler and kiss her senseless.
“You look beautiful.” I squinted against the dark, trying to take in the vision she was.
“You look handsome,” she repeated the compliment she’d given me earlier.
Unable to keep my hands off her, I ran them over her shoulders and down her arms. Tiny goosebumps popped over her skin. I knew she was just as affected by my touch as I was by touching her.
“You had to wear this dress.” I leaned down, pressing my mouth to the hollow of her throat, needing to taste her. “Do you know what it’s done to me tonight seeing every man look at you in this dress, knowing you’re mine?”
“Ty,” she gasped, her hands sliding up my shirt. “Ty, we can’t.”