Simply Complicated, page 7
“That’s what I thought,” she said, attempting to spin toward the door to leave. “We have to get out there or they’re going to come looking for us, and I don’t think it’s a good idea if anyone catches us locked in a bathroom together. As far as my family is concerned, tonight is the first time we’ve seen each other since you left.” When Olivia said the word left, her shoulders slumped. Could she be upset with me for going away to college? I’d meant to keep in touch, but I’d been busy with school and getting drafted. As the years passed, I thought it would be awkward to reach out after so much time had gone by, even though I thought about her a lot.
But when I saw her last night, it was like no time had passed at all.
I turned her back to face me before she could leave. “Kiss me.”
“No.” Her response was immediate, but the way she looked at my mouth told me she wanted to say yes. So, I pressed.
“Come on. You know you want to.” Pulling her into me caused her to stumble. “I need a taste before you make me go out there and endure watching some other guy fawn all over you. What does he look like, by the way? Do you think he’s attractive?”
“He’s cute.”
Her tone was blasé, and I couldn’t decipher if she told the truth.
With her hands resting on my chest, I wondered if she could feel my heartbeat thrum wildly beneath her fingertips. If I placed my hand on her chest, would I cause the same reaction for her?
“Is he more attractive than me?” Why was I torturing myself?
“I’m not stroking your ego, Luke.” My inability to read her drove me insane. Was she messing with me? Goading me? Purposely making me jealous?
“You better not be stroking anything on him either. Remember we agreed not to have sex with anyone else while we’re doing this.” I waved my finger between us.
“Oh my God. I just met him. I wouldn’t sleep with him anyway, even if we weren’t doing this.” She motioned back and forth like I’d done, but with a bit more exaggeration. “I don’t make it a habit of sleeping with strangers.”
“If I wasn’t at the bar last night, you would’ve. You told Brooke as much.” The simple thought that she could’ve taken some other guy, a stranger, to a hotel room didn’t sit well with me. But my dislike of the fictional situation was nothing compared to Olivia’s reaction when I brought it up.
She pointed her finger in my face, her expression morphing from slight annoyance to robust irritation. “That’s none of your business.” She spoke slowly to get her point across, and it was received loud and clear. “Besides, I don’t know if I would’ve followed through with it.”
“You can’t now.”
The pull of her brows and the narrowing of her eyes amused me because it meant I’d gotten to her, as I typically managed to do.
“I’m aware.”
Her voice raised slightly with her comment. In the wake of her realizing she shouldn’t have spoken so loudly, we stared at each other, waiting for someone to knock on the door. When no one did, I thought it was a good time to ask for that kiss again, but in a more subtle way.
“I like your skirt.”
A permanent frown line was going to mar her gorgeous face if she kept looking at me like that.
“Thanks.”
“And your shirt.”
“Thank yo—”
“I’d prefer both on the floor, but I can wait.”
“You’re an ass.”
One good shove and she managed to knock me back a step, enough for her to turn and unlock the door. Before she escaped, however, I shifted her hair to the side and pressed my lips to her neck.
Ignoring her comment, I threw one of my own at her, hoping to disarm her before we joined everyone else for dinner.
“I can’t wait for round two.”
“Keep it up and there won’t be a round two.”
“A deal is a deal, woman. You can’t back out.” I wanted to stay locked in this room all night bantering, but she had other plans, which included escaping.
She shoved me back, this time by using one of her greatest assets. Her ass.
The click of the lock signified we were done with our back and forth, but I needed a few extra seconds. I gripped her hips and pressed my arousal against her. I swore I got hard when she met me at the front door.
“Kiss me and I’ll be on my best behavior.” Thinking of whatever I could to get what I wanted seemed to be the direction I went in.
“Who are you kidding?”
“I will.”
Olivia peered at me over her shoulder, the corner of her mouth curving up slightly. “You do realize I didn’t just meet you, right? I know you, more than I want to.” What does that mean? I didn’t dare ask for fear her answer would break whatever spell I was under.
Mark’s voice echoed from a couple of rooms away, asking where Olivia and I were, putting a slight damper on my mood. The guy cockblocked me and didn’t even know it. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but he’d thrown me into an irritated mood. If this woman would let me kiss her, I could function halfway decent throughout dinner. But I had a feeling she was going to remain obstinate.
“One kiss?”
“Luke.” Her saying my name like a warning pushed me to finally stop asking.
“Fine. But I’m getting my fill tomorrow.” I slapped her on the ass for good measure, and when she didn’t berate me for the action, I smiled. “Now let’s go have some fun.”
11
Olivia
Luke fell into step beside me as we walked down the short hallway and entered the kitchen. His hand brushed against mine several times, and all I wanted to do was shove it under my skirt and demand he thrill me, but I did no such thing. The guy was starting to get under my skin, and it wasn’t necessarily all bad, which wasn’t what I expected.
“There you are.” My mom rounded the island and shoved a wooden salad bowl filled with the fixings at me. “Can you put this on the table, honey?” Before I walked away, her gaze landed on Luke before veering back to me. The slight flicker of her eyes didn’t give much away, but some thought about the two of us might’ve formed in her head. “And don’t be rude, Olivia. Go talk to Doug.”
Luke made a noise behind me, but I refused to look at him. I was too busy trying to bring my body’s reaction to him back under control. If I failed, I had no idea how the rest of the evening was going to pan out.
“You don’t want to keep your date waiting,” he whispered in my ear as he passed, his tone a mix of playfulness and jealousy.
When I entered the dining room, Doug was standing near Mark, chatting about whatever it was guys talked about. When he saw me, the corners of his mouth kicked up. He really was cute. I hadn’t lied about that to Luke. His dark blond hair was cropped close to his head in a style that worked on him. And his smile matched the warmth of his dark brown eyes.
I returned the grin as I placed the salad bowl in the center of the table. But when he looked past me with widened eyes, I turned to see what had caught his attention. Although, I should’ve known. Luke was famous, but to me he was the guy who grew up two doors down. He was also the guy I’d loved, but that was my little secret.
“Luke Sorenson?” Doug’s voice rose a notch, his legs propelling him toward Luke as he spoke. “I’m a huge fan.”
“Thanks.” The two men shook hands, and for a moment my date forgot all about me, which I should’ve been thankful for as I wasn’t interested in him in a romantic sense.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m an old family friend. Decided to drop by for dinner and catch up.”
I walked by them but didn’t get far when Luke snatched my hand and pulled me into him, wrapping his arm around my waist a second later. Anything at all could come flying out of his mouth, and if it was something inappropriate or embarrassing, I’d have to contain my reaction enough so as not to draw any suspicion from anyone as to what might be going on between the two of us. Or were all these thoughts simply my own paranoia over what I knew to be a strictly sexual relationship with us? I closed my eyes briefly, chastising myself for overthinking yet another scenario that involved the guy holding me close.
Instead of Luke uttering something that might’ve made me angry or uncomfortable, all he did was kiss my temple. The action was innocent enough to an onlooker such as Doug, but I read it for what it was, which was Luke laying claim to me in front of another male.
I wiggled myself away from him, flashing my date a quick smile before heading back to the kitchen. As I rounded the corner, I barreled into my dad. He grabbed my shoulders in surprise, smiling big right before he pulled me into a hug. I’d just spent some time with him in the garage, along with Mark and Luke, but there was something about his embrace that comforted me. Soothed some of my twisting nerves that wouldn’t settle.
When he pulled back, he looked at me with a hint of compassion. “I tried to talk your mom out of setting you up again, but she wouldn’t listen. You know her, though. When she’s intent on something, nothing will get in her way.” He tapped the end of my nose playfully.
“I know. It’s why I didn’t give her too much of an argument this time. I figured I’d humor her. Like you said, no point in fighting it.”
“I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to hook you up with Luke yet.” He laughed, thinking his comment was completely off base. If he only knew how many positions the man put me into last night, he wouldn’t be so amused.
“I doubt she’d take it there.” If my mom caught even the slightest whiff there was something between me and Luke, she’d jump all over it. I had to be careful tonight not to ignite any part of her imagination when it came to him.
“What’s this Doug guy like? Your mom can’t stop raving about him.”
“I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to him yet. He’s a fan of Luke’s, that much I know.”
“Who isn’t?” My dad kissed the top of my head. “I better change my shirt before your mom gets all riled up.”
As if she knew we were talking about her, she walked up behind us, pulling open one of the drawers and grabbing a spatula.
“Dinner is on the table. Let’s go, you two.” She turned to walk away but not before focusing on her husband’s grease-stained shirt. “Jack, hurry up and change.” With a huff, she was gone.
“And fix your hair, too,” I teased.
“What’s wrong with my hair?” He ran his fingers through his salt-and-pepper strands, making it worse. I swatted his hand away and tamped down the wayward section that had been sticking up. “All good?”
“Gorgeous. Now go change before she has a conniption.”
There were six places set at the table, two on each side and one at each end. My parents took the end seats, as was typical, and I took one of the empty seats next to my mom, figuring Doug would sit next to me. But someone beat him to it. My date was so enthralled with Luke being at the same table, he didn’t seem to mind he wasn’t going to be sitting next to the woman he’d been set up with tonight.
Once Luke was situated, I leaned in, being sure to keep my voice low when I asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”
He answered me right away, but with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “What do you mean?”
“What’s going on?” Mark asked, leaning forward and scooping out a piece of lasagna for himself.
I replied, “Nothing,” the same time Luke answered, “Ollie asked what I thought I was doing.” Mortification spiraled through me, and I’d never wanted to smack him more.
“About what?” This time the question came from my dad.
“I’m not sure,” Luke answered, scratching the side of his clean-shaven face. I had to admit that while I thought the beard was sexy, seeing his entire face only made him that much more handsome. Did he really shave because he wanted to see if having smooth skin when he went down on me again would help further along my goal?
“Honey?”
“What?” I wasn’t quite sure which one of my parents called for my attention, lost to the image of Luke’s head wedged between my thighs.
“Are you all right?” My mother’s sole attention was on me, her frown indicative of her concern.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“I know who’s going to get into you soon,” Luke whispered, placing his hand on my thigh beneath the table. The contact made me fidget in my seat, but I didn’t believe anyone noticed. Or at least I hoped they didn’t.
Gripping his fingers tightly, I tried to dislodge his hold on me, but he refused to let go. After the third attempt, I gave up, assuming if I continued, I’d only end up making things worse and causing a scene.
Leaning over him to get a piece of garlic bread, I whispered, “If you do anything to me, I’ll kill you.” My words passed through gritted teeth. The sickly-sweet smile on his face suggested he could go either way with my threat. I wouldn’t put it past him to rile me further by teasing me. His hand had already inched up my leg.
“Can you come into the shop early tomorrow? We had a drop off tonight right at closing, and I could really use your help.” My dad was the one talking, but because my head was down, I didn’t know if he was speaking to me or my brother. “Olivia, did you hear me?” Looks like it’s me.
“What time?” I asked, ripping off a piece of bread and shoving it in my mouth as gracefully as I could manage.
“Seven thirty.”
“Okay.” An hour earlier than I planned on being there wasn’t the end of the world.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Luke had turned to look at me. He inhaled, and I waited for him to say something, but my mom beat him to it.
“Doug, did I tell you Olivia is a mechanic? She works with my husband and my son at the family-owned garage.”
“Really? That’s interesting. Are there a lot of women in that field?” I assumed he directed his question at me, so I raised my eyes to his, attempting to ignore the surge of heat Luke’s hand caused.
“More than you would think.” Truth be told, I didn’t know the stats on female mechanics, but I knew of another garage across town that employed one.
“I didn’t know you worked with your dad and Mark,” Luke said, squeezing my leg when I didn’t respond right away.
“You didn’t ask.”
A forkful of cheesy goodness filled my mouth before I accidentally dove into the territory of the lack of subjects we discussed last night. All our focus had been on sex and nothing else. And it would remain that way. We weren’t dating. We had one goal to accomplish. Mixing in everyday life would only muddy the waters.
He mumbled something next to me, but he also shoved food in his face, so I couldn’t be sure what he’d said. Knowing him, it was probably something snarky.
Needing to be somewhat engaged with the guy my mom dragged here tonight, I asked him a question about himself.
“My mom tells me you’re a nursing student. How are you liking it?”
“It’s radiology.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“No big deal. And I’m happy with the job so far. Ella has been really kind, showing me around the hospital and introducing me to everyone.” Doug leaned back, his eyes bouncing from my mom to me and back again. When she patted the top of his hand, he twitched in his seat, his gaze lingering on her longer than appropriate.
Was he interested in her?
“Everyone there loves him. He’s such a nice guy.” She smiled at him, and the look he gave her in return solidified my assumption. It was like she was the sun and he needed her to survive. Okay, maybe not something as dramatic, but Doug had the hots for Ella Brighton. A beautiful, much older, and married mother of two grown children. And God love her, she was clueless.
“So, Doug, what makes a young, single guy accept a dinner invitation to be set up on a blind date? Can’t get a woman on your own?”
“Luke.” My tone was a mix of shock and reprimand.
“What?” He shrugged and gestured toward our guest. “He knows I’m playing.” He wasn’t playing, not at all. He was being rude.
“That’s okay.” Doug peeked at my mom before answering. “I work a lot, so I don’t get to go out much and meet people. But when Ella couldn’t stop talking about Olivia, I was intrigued. And when she showed me a picture….” His voice drifted off at the end.
“I told you she was beautiful.”
“She is.” His attention moved from my mom to me. “You are.”
My cheeks heated at the compliment, or was the reaction due to Luke’s hand pushing my skirt farther up my leg. His fingers fell between my thighs, close to the edge of my underwear. Again, I tried to remove his hand, but he wouldn’t budge. I kept my irritation at his brazenness on a simmer, because otherwise I’d end up drawing everyone’s attention. At one point, I tried to turn sideways in my seat, but he only dug his fingers into my leg, holding me in place, his forefinger managing to glide over the top of the silk material which covered the most intimate part of me.
“You’re sweet. Thank you.”
Again, Luke mumbled next to me, but no one else noticed.
Over the next twenty minutes, the conversation ranged from talk about Luke’s skills on the field, to our work at the shop, to gossip about Mom and Doug’s coworkers, mainly drama with a couple of the nurses and one of the doctors. Apparently, he was sleeping with them, and they didn’t know about each other.
I kept a close watch on our dinner guest, and sure enough, every now and again he looked at my mom with adoration. He definitely had a thing for her, which was probably why he never asked to switch seats with Luke when we first sat down to dinner. He didn’t want to lose his seat next to her.
After everyone praised the dinner, she rose from her seat to get the dessert, chocolate mint brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But Luke pulled me to my feet before I had a chance to object.
“Let us get it. You’ve already done so much already.” He dragged me into the kitchen, and I was sure the look of surprise on my face was comical, had anyone been paying attention. But everyone was chatting among themselves.
