How did he know that? She had never told a soul. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The lie easily slipped from her lips. It had become ingrained in her.
“I recognize an abused woman, when I see one. You flinched, when I touched you, and you avert your gaze, when you’re talking to men, and just now, you braced for an attack.”
She hadn’t realized she was so obvious, or that he was that observant. Another reason to stay away from him. She didn’t want to risk him finding out about her past, and all her stupid mistakes. “I need to go.” She tried stepping around him, but Heath countered her.
“Fine, don’t tell me. Keep your secrets. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
It sounded like a genuine apology. “Thank you. Apology accepted.”
“Can we start again? Get to know one another as friends.”
Olivia raised a skeptical eyebrow, wondering what his angle was. “Friends with benefits?”
“Ouch,” he clutched his chest, as if wounded. “Though, I guess it was deserved, I’ll have you know I have several women friends. All my friends but one is with someone, and I haven’t slept with any of them.”
That wasn’t very convincing, but at least, he had morals. Olivia stood in debate. If she said yes, he could ruin her plans of escape. She would want to stay, and he could learn about her past. If Royce ever found them together, he would kill Heath without a second thought. She was a magnet for trouble and cursed in love. “You should stay away from me, Heath.”
Heath took a step closer to her, their chests brushing up against one another. “I don’t want, too. You captivated me the moment I saw you walking across the street to the diner.”
Why did he have to say all the right things? He was making it harder for her to send him away. She had to remind herself that he was a womanizer and would say anything to get what he wanted. “You saw me as your next bed sport; nothing more. You didn’t want to know anything about me.”
“True, that may have been how it was in the beginning, but the moment I met you, I knew there was something different about you. You weren’t just another woman to seduce.”
Olivia couldn’t stop the hope, flaring in her chest. “I wasn’t?” She needed to resist him, and ignore the web of lies he was spinning. He was just saying what she wanted to hear, so she would give in to him.
“No,” he shook his head. “Give me this afternoon to prove it to you. I know I come off strong, and it may sound conceited. I’ve always been that way, though, but I don’t always mean it to. Give me a chance to prove to you that I’m not the asshole you think I am.”
A quick denial was on the tip of her tongue. She didn’t want to encourage him. If she said yes now, then what else might she agree, too? Olivia’s gaze went over his shoulder to seeIvywith Susan laughing, as they had their heads bent down, whispering to one another. It was the first time her daughter had looked happy in a long time. She couldn’t take that away from her. What was a little more time spent at the carnival, so her daughter could enjoy herself.
She was seeing a different side of Heath she hadn’t in the diner. He wasn’t the smooth talker at the moment, and he seemed more genuine. Had she been judging him falsely, or were there just different sides to him?
“I’ll give you this afternoon.” She relented. “On one condition.”
“Name it.” Heath practically hummed with excitement, and it was so cute.
“This isn’t a date. So, no kissing, holding hands, or anything like that.”
Heath looked down at her. His eyes bright with hunger that left her struggling to breath. “I promise I won’t kiss you or hold your hand, unless you ask me, too.”
“Deal,” Olivia would never ask, so she was safe.
Chapter 6
Heath could barely contain his glee that Olivia had finally said yes. This wasn’t how he envisioned it going, but he could easily accommodate. After that kiss they shared, he was determined now more than ever to have her.
No one besides his teammates and CO, commanding officer, told him he was arrogant. He had built a reputation for being a kick ass and taking names. He applied his same skills in the field, as he did with women; never once had a woman complained that he came on too strong. Maybe, that was because the women he went after usually wanted the same thing as he did. One night of fun, no strings attached sex.
Olivia wasn’t like those women. Someone had hurt her.Badly.The bastard better pray he never found him, or he would give the asshole a beating he deserved. No one should ever lay a hand on a woman in anger.
He wanted to wrap Olivia in his arms and promise her that he would never hurt her. But one, he promised he wouldn’t touch her without her permission, and two, actions speak louder than words.
Heath stuffed his hands in his pockets, wondering what to say. He had never tried getting to know a woman before that he wasn’t just trying to get them to go home with him. This was uncharted territory for him, and he didn’t know what to do. He thought about his friends’ girlfriends, and what he might talk to them about.
“Where are you from?”
“No.”
“Where is that?”
