Desperate for a solution, I said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
Hours after speaking to Carmella,I left Battle Industries early enough to arrive well before the last bell rang. Parked at the curb, I leaned against the passenger door, dressed in a ten thousand dollar black suit and wingtips. I bent down and glanced in the side mirror and checked my hair.
I didn’t know how to handle women. A nerd through and through, I used my brain to solve problems. Not my body or my face. And I certainly didn’t know what to do with a mentally beaten-down teenage girl who just wanted someone to love her. I was so out of my depth with Olivia and wished Tate were here to guide me.
Keeping Carmella’s advice in mind, I pushed down the nerves rising in my throat. And as Olivia exited the building, my heart did a dance inside my chest.
She was beautiful.
Perfect.
Clutching a backpack, Olivia walked toward me, her eyes lighting up with relief. She seemed almost surprised. Like she thought I would bail on her. The poor girl was so used to people letting her down that she expected the same of me.
Never.
I was a man of my word and kept my promises.
As Olivia approached, I stepped forward to close the distance and grabbed the backpack from her shoulder.
“You came,” she said, breathless.
I hunched down and gripped her chin, staring into her eyes. “I would never leave you hanging, Liv.”
Several feet away, four pretty girls stopped and stared at us. They eyed up Olivia like predators on the hunt, which didn’t sit well with me.
“Are those the girls?” I asked, tipping my head at the group.
Olivia slowly turned her head, looked, and then nodded. “Yeah. The tall blonde tripped me. I fell on my face in front of everyone. Most of the school saw my panties.”
Curling an arm around Olivia, I pulled her to my chest and hugged her until she stopped shaking. I knew exactly how she felt. And back then, I had a father who could have used his power and authority and did nothing to protect me.
But I could save her.
Carmella’s idea was unconventional, and technically illegal since I was still her guardian, but I needed to try it. I heard the girls’ loud voices from a distance. So did Olivia, who cringed.
“Oh my God,” the tall blonde girl said. “Is that Drake Battle?”
“Yeah, he’s so hot.”
“Right?”
“I want him to bend me over the hood of that car.”
Other people stopped and noticed me. Since childhood, my face graced the covers of magazines. Battle Industries was always in the news because of its innovative technology and big government projects. And because of Lovelace and the new platform I was developing for the masses, everyone wanted a piece of me.
Girls eyed me up from a distance. Even the boys glanced our way. I took this as a sign to make a move, to follow through on Carmella’s plan, even though I knew Tate would have killed me.
I tossed Olivia’s backpack onto the hood and hooked an arm around her. She seemed startled by the sudden movement and gasped.
“Drake,” she whispered, staring up at me.
It was so obvious she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Even though I knew it was wrong, I lifted her feet off the ground and wrapped her legs around me. My back hit the car as our mouths collided. Parting her lips with my tongue, I took my time and savored our first kiss.
I wanted to memorize her soft lips on mine. The taste of spearmint gum on her tongue. And the sweet smell of her perfume. The moment I let go, I knew she would ruin me. That this woman would be my undoing.
Olivia pawed at my shirt and rubbed up against me, creating some friction between us. I had to remind myself not to get too excited. We had everyone’s attention on campus. Dozens of people surrounding us on the lawn.
“Holy shit,” a girl said, snapping me back to the present. “I just got pregnant from watching that kiss.”
