25. Leo
25
LEO
T onight is our first actual date. I can’t wait to see what Olive thinks when she gets here. I stand in the middle of the small cottage with my hands on my hips to assess my work. To make the place more cozy and romantic, I wrapped some white Christmas lights around the railing going up the stairs to the bedroom. Tea light candles will add a soft glow to the open space. As well as the small fire burning in the fireplace.
Originally, I planned to order out for dinner, but I am feeling inspired. I’m probably out of my damn mind because this is the first time I’m cooking for a woman. Olive likes steak, and I thought I’d give it a go. I’ll follow some cooking videos I found and have the iPad ready on the counter. Maybe she’d like to help.
I bought another bottle of the champagne we drank on her birthday. For dessert or snacks, I bought gummy bears and worms. I couldn’t resist.
If it weren’t her last night here, I’d try to persuade her to stay with me tonight. Not that I think it’d be difficult, but I know she needs to pack. I’ve spent the last two nights in her room. Okay, I’ll confess, we’ve spent every second possible together since karaoke night.
It messes with my head how much I want to be around her. And the need to touch her all the time is such a foreign feeling. Yes, I’m affectionate with my family, but with Olive it’s different. Being intimate with her, skin to skin, is something I didn’t know I was missing. How am I supposed to turn off that feeling when she leaves? Or when I’m traveling around the world? As far as I’m concerned, I’m taken. There will be no other woman warming my bed.
When we were in town yesterday, we were always kissing, holding hands, hugging, and joking around. You know, the annoying things new couples do. But can I call us a couple? I know we’re all over each other and having amazing sex, but that doesn’t mean we’re together , together. Does it? We’ve been making it up as we go along, but tonight we have to make some decisions.
The clock is ticking. There are no small steps in this budding relationship, only giant leaps. Go big or go home, right? Okay, enough of the motivational bullshit. I want her, she wants me—what’s the problem?
I glance at my phone. She should arrive soon. I light the candles, then head to the bathroom for a quick once-over, smoothing out my casual clothes. Then I rinse my mouth with mouthwash and spray some cologne.
As I step out of the bathroom, there’s light knocking on the door. My smile returns and my pulse picks up. I open the door, and there’s Olive, gorgeous as ever, her suitcase beside her. Her twinkling eyes scan my body from head to toe. And mine do the same with her.
“Hi, handsome. I like your outfit,” she purrs. “There’s something yummy about a man in a Henley. Are you up for another sleepover before I’m ferried off tomorrow?”
“You read my mind, beautiful. I need to get my fill of you.” I grab the suitcase and roll it inside with marvelous speed. Before she can move, I wrap her in my arms. “Mmm. If I had my way, we’d be having sleepovers for the rest of our lives.”
I don’t give her a second to respond before my lips connect with hers. Without separating, I guide us into the open space and kick the door shut. Her arms wrap around my neck. I’m thirsty for her taste and seek her tongue with mine. She tastes like mint and smells like blooming spring flowers. My hands slide under her coat and I embrace her back, pulling her closer to me. She moans into my mouth and I growl, forcing myself to stop because we’ll end up naked all night. It’s enticing, but that’s not what this night is about.
“I missed you,” I say in between heavy breaths, relaxing my arms around her but not letting go.
She kisses my pulse point while gripping the back of my shirt. “Missed you too. I want to live in a cloud of your cologne. I love it.”
“Just sprayed some. I hope it’s not too much.”
“Nope. Not possible.” Her eyes wander behind me and her mouth drops open. She steps to the side and I take her coat. “Look at this place. I love it.”
“It’s all for you. I thought we could make this our first official date, ending with a sleepover.”
She rests her hand over her heart, and her expression softens. “You’re too good to be true. I’d love that.”
I hug her again because I can. Because after tomorrow, I won’t be able to. “And it’s not our last date either.”
She traces her finger along my collarbone. “Promise?”
I press a soft kiss to her nose. “Yep.”
“Good. So, what did you plan for our first date?”
I take her hand and guide her toward the small kitchen counter. “When you’re hungry, I want to make you steak for dinner.”
Her face lights up. “Really? You can sing and dance like a professional, and now you’re telling me you can cook too?”
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’ll possibly burn the kitchen down. Traveling year-round doesn’t give me much time to experiment in the kitchen. I can make a mean tomato sauce and that’s about it.”
“No worries. It’s sweet that you want to try. I’ll help you, but I don’t have much of a clue on how to make a steak.”
She’ll help! “ Phew .” I wipe my brow. “Disaster averted.”
“Don’t speak too soon. Now what else is on the agenda?” She taps her fingers on the counter.
“I didn’t think that far because I don’t care what we do, as long as I can spend every second with you. We can watch a movie or play strip poker. Sorry, I meant play poker.” I kiss her neck, smiling against her skin. “I vote for stripping, by the way.”
“And I volunteer as tribute. Nakedness all the way.” She swirls her hips, rubbing against my crotch, igniting me at the wrong time.
Ignore it. “I knew I liked you for a reason. You need to behave now. Any movement like that gets me going.”
With hands in the air, she snickers. “Sorry. And you’re right—no matter how much I want to strip out of my clothes for you, I want to do this right.” She presses her index finger against my lips. “Not a word about you showing off your sexy moves. I already find it hard to concentrate when you have clothes on. Now, let’s make dinner.”
“Got it. Clothes stay on,” I quip. “So this is what I was thinking.” And I tell her how I want to make the steak, potatoes, and veggies, then we divvy up the tasks and get to work.
Dinner takes a little longer to make because Sully stopped by with Smokey to say goodbye to Olive. It meant a lot to her and to me. He stayed and had a quick beer while Olive played with the kitten. Smokey bit me several times, making it clear she wanted nothing to do with me. Then Sully took off when we asked him to stay for dinner. We didn’t want to be rude and kick him out.
An hour or two later, I’m drying a pot. “I’m surprised we didn’t set off the smoke detectors.”
“That’s because we work well together,” Olive says, flicking a lot of water at me. She gasps. “Sorry, that was more than I intended.”
I look down at my wet shirt and the floor, then flash a wicked grin. “Now you’re in trouble.”
She shrieks and runs out of the kitchen, dripping more water on the floor. I trail behind her, smacking her gorgeous ass, making her yelp. This place is small, so she won’t get far. She stops behind the coffee table because there’s nowhere else to go.
“Come and get me,” she taunts, hopping from one leg to the other.
To trick her, I move to my left, and she tries to make her escape. Too late. I tackle her onto the couch with a big oof . We’re both laughing so hard we can hardly speak. Somehow I finagle us so I’m lying on my back and she’s on top of me. I thrust a couple of pillows behind me to prop myself up.
She pushes up on her hands, and her shirt hangs open, flashing me her mouthwatering breasts. “ Ick ,” she says, “our shirts are all wet.”
I’m not going to let that distract me from the perfect view. “Feel free to take it off and hang it by the fire. I know a way to keep you warm.” I squeeze her hips.
“You wish.” She lowers herself till we’re chest to chest.
“I do,” I agree, not ashamed. I push her hair behind her ears and study her flushed, cheerful face. My chest bursts with emotion, and I say the one thing I know I truly am at this moment. “You make me so happy, Olive. Happier than I’ve felt in years.”
It’s time to execute my new plan. I’m calling it Operation Make Olive Fall in Love with Me .
Maybe she already is.
Because I know I’m in love with her.