26. Olivia
CHAPTER 26
Olivia
O pening my eyes, I blink against the bright sun coming through the open windows and see nothing but blue skies and the tiptops of the pine trees that fill the bottom panes of the glass. Even only having it one day, I know I’m going to miss waking up to this view when we leave. Moreover, I will miss not thinking about all the worries I left behind when Bax decided Friday that we weren’t putting off our trip to the Smoky Mountains. He packed us up in his truck and drove us the three hours to the cabin he rented. But like all good things, this trip is coming to an end, and by this time tomorrow, we’ll be on our way back home.
Smelling bacon and coffee, I toss back the blanket covering me and grab Bax’s shirt from the bottom of the bed, dragging it down over my head as I walk to the bathroom. He did not skimp on the cabin he rented for us. Not only is there a hot tub outside that we took full advantage of last night when we arrived, but there is also a huge walk-in shower and sunken tub with a giant picture window behind it with a view of the mountains that looks like something you’d find in a travel magazine. Even if the tub is not huge, somehow I’m going to convince Bax to get into it with me tonight. After brushing my teeth and tying my hair up, I head to the stairs, and as I start down them, I spot Bax at the stove wearing only a pair of loose sweats.
“Hey, baby.” His eyes come to me over his shoulder, and I stop in the middle of the stairs for a moment just to appreciate the view of him in all his shirtless glory before I take the last few steps down.
“Morning.” I walk around the island into the kitchen and stop at his side, wrapping my arms around his waist as he slides his arm around my back.
“I was going to bring you breakfast in bed.”
“Sorry.” I look up at him, and he dips his chin so he can touch his mouth to mine. “How long have you been up?” I look at the stove, where there is a stack of pancakes along with some scrambled eggs and the bacon he’s still cooking.
“About an hour. Coffee’s done. Do you want a cup?”
“Yes.” I start to move away from him to get it for myself, but he stops me and places the tongs in his hand down, then maneuvers me up onto the counter next to the stove. Okay, apparently, I’m not getting my own coffee.
“What do you want to do today?” he asks as he opens the cupboard next to me and reaches up to grab a coffee mug.
“We could go bungee jumping at that place we saw last night when we were coming home from dinner.”
“Yeah, that’s not fucking happening,” he mutters, shaking his head with a smile on his face like he thinks I’m being funny. “What do you want to do that won’t send me to an early grave?” He dumps some creamer into the cup after filling it with coffee.
“I’ve gone bungee jumping before, it’s fun, and it’s safe.”
“We’re not doing that.”
“We don’t have to do anything; you can just watch me jump,” I tell him, taking the cup he hands me.
“You really think that I’m going to stand by and watch you jump off a piece of metal hundreds of feet in the air attached to what are essentially rubber bands?”
“They aren’t rubber bands.” I roll my eyes as he begins to take the bacon out of the pan and put it on a plate he covered with a paper towel.
“They are.”
“Whatever.” I take a sip of coffee because he is kind of right, even if he’s also wrong.
“What else do you want to do?”
“I don’t know, when Mom and Dad used to bring Liam and I up here when we were little, we’d go to Dollywood, but a lot has changed since then. I guess we could just drive around and see what there is to do.”
“We can do that.” He finishes with the bacon and places the plate on the counter. “Do you want to eat outside?”
“Sure.” I set down my coffee as his warm hand lands on my thigh, then slides up under the edge of his tee making my breath catch.
“As much as I love you in just my shirt.” He smirks. “You need to put some clothes on, it’s cold out this morning.” His eyes darken as his hand slides higher, and fingers skim just above the v of my legs, finding nothing covering me. “How hungry are you?”
“What?” It’s difficult to focus when he’s touching me.
“Are you hungry?”
“I… Oh.” I gasp when his featherlight touch slides lower and sweeps over my clit.
“I’m starving.”
“Bax.”
“Already wet.”
“Yes.” I swallow as he fits himself between my legs, then bite my bottom lip as I watch him drop to his knees in front of me. Sliding my fingers through his hair, I hold my breath as he pulls me forward on the counter and hooks my legs over his shoulders. “Lose my shirt,” he demands. I try to focus on listening to him, but it’s almost impossible when he presses his face against me, and I feel his warm breath, then his tongue snake up between my legs. When he pulls back, and his eyes meet mine, I feel lightheaded. “Lose the shirt, Oli.”
Fumbling, I pull his shirt off, then whimper when he reaches up and cups my breast in his big hands.
“Look at you.”
“Oh God.” I moan, and my head falls back on my shoulders when he tugs both my nipples.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous, baby.”
“Bax.”
Hold yourself open for me, Oli.” I hesitate for only a second before I reach down and spread myself open for him. “So fucking pretty. Show me how you touch yourself.” Heat spreads up my chest to my neck, but I find the courage to slide my hand between my legs. Rubbing my clit, I moan when he licks over my fingers and looks up at me.
“Fuck yourself with those.”
Oh God.
With blood rushing to my head, I slide my fingers into my pussy as he watches, then places my feet on his shoulders to get better leverage. I swear I hear him growl in approval as I begin to finger myself slowly.
“Let me have a taste.” He grabs my wrist and brings my fingers to his mouth, sucking both of them with enough friction that I feel it between my legs.
“Definitely my favorite thing to eat.” He grins at me right before he lets my wrist go and wraps his hands under my thighs. Leaning in, he licks up one side, then the other, then his tongue flutters over my clit. Warm heat spreads from my scalp down my spine when he pulls that aching bundle of nerves into his mouth and pulls hard. Then his fingers join his mouth, and I lose sight of reality and become nothing more than a feeling of euphoria. Crooking his fingers inside me, he taps against that spot he seems to know, like the back of his hand, and his tongue picks up speed. The walls of my pussy clench tight, but he doesn’t let up. His fingers and mouth move in unison before I have time to brace for impact. “Oh my God,” I moan, coming so hard I see stars as I squeeze my eyes closed. With my orgasm still floating through my system, I open my eyes and gasp when I feel the hard length of him pressing against me through his sweats.
“I need to get a condom.” He captures my wrist when I reach for him.
“No.” I put pressure against his chest, and he backs up a step, giving me just enough room to get down.
“Oli.” He hisses as I drop to my knees in front of him. “Fuck, baby, you look gorgeous on your knees for me,” he praises as I pull down the front of his sweats and wrap my fist around him. Groaning, he slides his fingers through my hair, which has fallen from the bun I tied. Looking up at him, I wrap my lips around the tip of him and take him into my mouth slowly. “Oh fuck,” he bites out, gripping my hair while his other hand wraps around the edge of the counter.
Moaning, I swirl my tongue around the tip, then take him deeper. “Look at me,” he demands, and I lift my eyes to his. “Fuck, my girl looks so pretty with my cock in her mouth.” He cups my jaw, and I squeeze my thighs together. He looks the definition of pure male satisfaction, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything hotter. Taking him deeper I suck harder then whimper in surprise when he slides his hand back into my hair and pulls me off him. “Come here.” He grabs me under my arms and lifts me off the floor. I don’t even have a chance to get my feet under me when his shoulder is in my stomach, and we are moving.
“Oh my God,” I shout, grabbing onto his waist as he starts carrying me up the stairs. “What are you doing?”
“I need to be able to fuck you properly.” His hand comes down hard on my ass making me squeak. Then, the next thing I know, I’m flying through the air and landing on my back in the middle of the bed. Pushing my hair out of my face I watch him kick off his sweats, then swallow when he gets onto the bed on his knees and moves toward me. Wrapping his hand around my ankle, he jerks me down the mattress and settles between my thighs. “This is better.” He smiles, but it looks predatory. Leaning over me, he wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls my mouth up to his. The kiss is messy and all-consuming as my hands move over him and his wander over me. The breath I was about to release comes out in a rush when I feel his hand suddenly between my legs and his featherlight touch there before he begins fingering me.
“Fuck I love how wet you get for me, baby.” He nips my bottom lip, then pulls back to look at me. “Grab a condom.”
I don’t know where or how I find the coordination, but I somehow manage to reach over my head and grab the box off the bedside table, even as his mouth moves to my breast, switching from one to the other.
“Got it,” I announce, holding one of the condoms up between us like a victory prize.
“Thanks.” He laughs, taking it from me, and then I watch him rip it open with his teeth and slide it down his length. His eyes come to mine as he moves his hand up and down his cock, then drops to between my legs. “On your knees in front of me, Oli.”
I don’t hesitate. I roll to my belly and move to my knees, and he moves behind me, spreading my legs wider with his knees. Then the head of his cock parts the lips of my pussy, and he fills me in one stroke. Gripping the sheets, I drop my head forward, and his hands wrap around my hips. With no other choice, I give myself over to him, and he starts to fuck me hard, rolling his hips into me, using his hold to pull me back each time he slams forward, causing my breath to hitch. The walls of my pussy cling to him and squeeze, wanting more.
“Oh God, Bax,” I cry out when he slides his hand up my back and wraps it around my throat. Pulling me up to my knees, he never loses the rhythm he’s established as he cups my breast.
“Touch yourself, baby,” he breathes against my ear, and I slide my hand between my legs and roll my fingers over my clit, then down to where we are connected. “Fuck.” He groans as my fingers spread around his cock. “You gonna come for me, Oli?”
“Yes,” I breathe as my head falls back to his shoulder. A tight knot forms in my lower belly, and my thighs start to tingle.
“You’re such a good girl.” He nips my earlobe while his hand on my throat tightens. “So fucking good.”
“Bax,” I moan, digging my nails into his thigh as I come so hard I shudder with my release.
“Fuck, Oli.” He picks up speed before he sinks into me one last time, planting himself so deep I swear I can feel him in my belly as he comes. “Jesus.” His warm breath brushes against my shoulder where his forehead has dropped. Wrapping his arms around me tight, he holds me upright, which is good because I’m pretty sure that I might just melt into the mattress otherwise.
Brushing his lips across my shoulder, he captures my jaw and turns my head, pressing his lips against mine in a soft kiss. “You, okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod, still feeling drunk off my orgasm.
“How about a shower?” He slides his fingers down the side of my face, sliding some of the hair stuck there away.
“I don’t think my legs will work.”
“My poor baby.” He smiles, looking smug. “I’ll go start the shower and be back to get you.”
“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
“A little.” He lifts me off him, and I let out a quiet whimper at the loss of him. “Be right back.” He kisses my shoulder before letting me fall to my belly. Tossing the blanket over me, he exits the bed and walks into the bathroom while I roll to my side and listen to the shower turn on with a smug smile of my own on my face.
* * *
Leaning back against the headboard in bed with my knees bent and the book I’m reading on my upturned thighs, I look out the sliding glass doors in the bedroom and watch Bax lean against the banister as he talks on the phone. After breakfast earlier, we came upstairs to get dressed, and he found he had a string of missed calls from his sister Nalia and his parents, so he left me with a kiss and stepped outside to call them back. After I finished putting on makeup and getting dressed, I decided to lay in bed and read while waiting for him. That was close to an hour ago.
Like he feels me looking at him, he turns his head my way. He gives me a tight smile, and I smile back before dropping my eyes to my book. A few days ago, he told me about the situation with his sister and that she was planning on moving home, but he hadn’t talked to her since then, so hopefully, everything is okay. Hearing the sliding door open, I look up from my book as he closes the door and walks toward the bed. Falling onto his stomach, he wraps his arms around my thighs and drops his chin to the tops of my knees.
“Sorry that took so long.”
“It’s okay.” I slide my fingers through his hair that is a mess after our shower. “Is everything alright?”
“No.” He shakes his head, pressing his lips to my knee. “Nalia called our parents this morning and told them about the situation, and shit hit the fan. They are pissed at her and now pissed at me because she told me, and I never filled them in on what was happening.”
“Why didn’t she want to talk to them?”
“You’d have to ask her that question. My sister is a conundrum all her own.”
“Is she still moving back here?”
“She’ll be here Tuesday, and not surprisingly, Mom and Dad are taking over. Dad’s flying out tonight to help her drive back while Mom works on getting her an apartment close to them.”
“Does she want that?”
“She didn’t. Then Dad told her that you were staying with me, and she decided that it would be better if she and Zuri got a place of their own.”
“Did you tell her that I have my own place and that I’m not living with you?” I ask softly.
“No, because you are staying with me.”
“Yes, I get that, but I have a room at Kourtney’s house. I don’t live with you.”
“You’re not staying there, Oli, not even when the alarm system is put in.”
“Then I can stay with my parents, so your sister feels comfortable at your house.”
“That’s not happening.”
“Bax, I don’t feel comfortable being the reason Nalia feels like she has to rush into an apartment when that is not what she wanted to do. Something I completely understand especially when she is moving across the country and needs a little time to find her footing.”
“You’re not the reason she’s not staying with me.”
“You just told me that she is getting an apartment after finding out I’m staying with you,” I whisper, and his jaw clenches. “Look, I like staying with you, but you know that I’m eventually going back next door or even finding my own apartment.”
“Can we talk about this later?”
“No, I want to talk about it now.”
“Olivia.” He sighs.
“Bax.” I use the same tired, put-out sigh he did, and he glares at me.
“I like you with me.” He bites out, and my annoyance melts away in an instant.
“And I like being with you.” I slide my fingers through his hair. “But eventually, we’ll have to go back to some kind of normal.”
“Why?”
“Why?” I frown.
“And what kind of normal? Since you moved in next door, you’ve basically stayed with me—maybe not in my bed, but you’ve been under my roof every night.”
“Yeah, and that’s not normal.”
“Fuck normal.” He pushes off the bed and begins pacing back and forth across the room. “What does it matter if you move in with me now?”
“I’m not moving in with you,” I scoff.
“Why?”
Setting my book aside, I sit up. “Because.” I toss out my hands. “We are just starting to get to know each other.”
“And.”
“And?” I shake my head in disbelief. “I don’t think I need another reason.”
“I’m not going to sleep without you next to me, not even just a few days a week. Fuck that.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” I tell him softly, even though sitting here, I realize that I don’t like the idea of sleeping somewhere else either, even if it is just a few days a week. “I think we should table this conversation until we get back home.”
“No, you wanted to talk about it now, so let’s talk.”
“Bax.”
“Give me another reason.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.” I sigh. “And shouldn’t you be happy I’m not trying to move in and take over your house?”
“Why the fuck would I be happy about that when I want you there? I want to come home from work and find you in the kitchen surrounded by a mess, and to trip over your shit on the bedroom floor, and to have to move your stuff out of the way so I can brush my fucking teeth without your crap falling in the sink.”
“Umm, you’re making it sound like I’m a slob.”
“You’re not a slob, babe, but you do leave shit everywhere, and when you cook, you do it like you’re a contestant on a cooking show, and someone else is going to come in and clean up after you. The thing is, I fucking love it. I love your shit all over the place, and the mess you make in the kitchen and the way walking into my house now feels like I’m coming home because I know you’re there even though I’ve lived there for years.”
Oh my God, my throat gets tight and starts to burn.
Holy shit, I’m in love with him. When did that happen?
“I…”
“You know what?” He walks over to the chair in the corner of the room and grabs his jeans. “Never mind, we’ll just continue to pretend you’re just staying the night every night.”
“I…”
“Does that work?” He looks over at me.
“Umm.” I shake my head. “Yeah.”
“Good,” he grumbles
Okay, I think I’m in shock, and not because I just agreed to move in with him in some weird way. No, I’m still stunned by the fact that I’m in love with him, and I’m pretty sure he loves me back.
“I love you,” I blurt as he buttons his jeans, and the annoyance around his eyes and mouth melts away as his face gets soft.
“I know, baby. I love you too.”
“Oh.” I swallow over the lump in my throat as my eyes start to water.
“Hey,” he says softly as he walks to the side of the bed and takes a seat, wrapping his hand around the side of my neck. “What’s with the tears?”
“I don’t know,” I grumble, wiping at my cheeks, and he laughs.
“Come here, baby.” He pulls me into him, then settles me across his lap.
“You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.” He smiles as he slides his hand around the side of my neck. “And if you need me to pretend for a while that we don’t live together and that we’re some version of normal, I’ll do that, okay?”
“’Kay.”
“Fuck.” He buries his face in my neck. “My girl is strong in the face of everything else except her feelings for me.”
“You’re a lot to handle.”
“And you love me.”
“I do,” I agree, and he kisses my neck before pulling back to look at me.
“Do you still want to go out, or do you want to just hang here and read in bed?”
“I want to go bungee jumping.”
“Olivia.”
“Please,” I whisper, and he lets out a long breath as he stares into my eyes.
“Give me a second. I’m trying to figure out if it will ever be possible to tell you no.”
“Probably not.” I smile, and he sighs.
“Fuck, okay, but if something goes wrong, I’m spanking your ass.”
“Nothing is going to go wrong.” I lean up to kiss his jaw, then scoot off his lap. “It’s going to be fun.”
* * *
Bax
This is far from fucking fun.
With my arms wrapped tight around Olivia, I look out at the mountains that surround us to avoid looking down at what will likely be my death.
Fuck.
After driving around Gatlinburg and doing all the tourist stuff, including mining for gems out of a sand bucket that cost a hundred dollars, I stayed true to my promise and drove us to the bungee jumping place. The moment we arrived, they told us that Olivia and I could jump together, and I couldn’t admit to her that I was scared to death of heights. That even at work, the guys all know that if something needs to be done on a roof, they need to find someone else to go up there. My max height is twelve feet, and even that’s pushing it, which led me to paying for the two of us to jump tandem.
“You two ready?” the teenage kid named Cody who helped us into our harnesses asks and I glare at him only to have him smile huge.
“Ready.” Olivia laughs, and I look down at her, wondering what the fuck love has done to me. Obviously, it’s made me insane because there is no other reason I’d be doing this right now. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispers.
“It better be.”
“You’re going to love this.”
That’s doubtful.
“On the count of three,” Cody says, and my stomach pitches. “One… Two… Three.” Fuck, it’s too late to turn back, so I follow Olivia’s lead and pray to whatever god will listen as we fall over the edge of the skinny platform into nothingness. I swear I must black out because until the rubber band snaps us back, I don’t remember anything, not one single second. Then the sound of Olivia’s laughter hits my ears, and I open my eyes, feeling more alive than I ever have and also more sure than ever that I fucking hate heights.
“We are never doing this again,” I whisper, and she giggles, burying her face in my chest.