“Oh, we’ll get to the sex. But first I need to make sure you have some healthy food inside you.” He put the pasta in the boiling water, found a chopping board, and set to work on the garlic. “So, what happened today?”
She took a sip of her wine. “For the first time in years, I was distracted in a meeting. Simon called me out on it, and Stuart was there to witness it.”
“Ouch. What distracted you?”
She gave him a measured look. “You know very well.”
He settled a frying pan on the range. “And you spent the rest of the day telling yourself you should never have agreed to let me come round, huh?” He slid the garlic, tomatoes, and herbs into the pan and let the action of cooking calm him, give him confidence to say the next words. “I guess it’s on me to convince you the temporary fall from grace was worth it so next time you won’t be distracted, wondering whether seeing me is the right thing to do. You’llknowit is.” He glanced over his shoulder at her, found her eyes on him, her expression thoughtful. “So do we reckon it’s six–all now with Stuart?”
“We?” She twirled her glass round and round on the island but didn’t call him out on the word. “Probably.”
“You’ll get back ahead.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Aside from the fact you’re sharp, fierce, and unshakable?” He drained the pasta, tossed it into the frying pan, and mixed. “You want it too much to let anything get in the way of it. Now, let’s eat.”
He tried not to think how normal it felt, despite the luxury of the surroundings, sitting opposite her as they tucked into the pasta.
“How’s Ellie?” she asked between forkfuls.
“I gave her a practice spelling test today. She aced it.” He was a proud dad, and he wasn’t going to apologize for it. “Don’t know where she gets her brains from.”
Olivia smiled. “Anyone who can rustle up something that tastes this good in only five minutes is some kind of genius in my book.”
Her eyes met his and his heart faltered. Didn’t she realize that if she started throwing praise around, he was done for?
When they’d eaten and cleared away, she led him through to the lounge, which was stunning: a low-slung velvet sofa surrounded by walls of glass and the lights of London as a backdrop. The contrast to his lived-in two-bed terrace that overflowed with his daughter’s toys couldn’t have been more stark.
Ignoring the feeling of trepidation, of being too close to a dangerous edge he was moments from falling over, he took her hand, sat on the sofa, and pulled her down so she straddled him. With restless hands, he drew off her top and undid her bra; his fingers traced up and down her spine as he fluttered kisses along the tops of her breasts. “How do you want it the first time?” His tongue flicked across her nipple and she gasped, arching her back. “Cowgirl, so you get to see the view of London and I get to watch while I sink into you?” Christ, just the thought of all the ways he wanted to take her sent him perilously close to coming.
“Yes.” She planted featherlight kisses across his face. “But only because I’m rather partial to this view.”
And just like that, he tumbled over the edge of the precipice.
“Promise you won’t fall for me,” she whispered later when they finally made it to her bed.
Too late,he thought.Too damn late.
Chapter 22
Olivia glanced down at her phone and saw a message notification from Connor.
Will meet u at bar opposite your work.
Shit.
Why?
In a flash he replied.
Do I need a reason?
Damn, she hadn’t wanted to upset him.
No, just wondering.
She waited as he typed something.
