While continuing to avoid his eyes, she licked her lips. An adorable little habit she had when she was nervous.
“There, uh, were a lot of reporters calling for interviews. After.” She shrugged casually. “I got tired of it, so I changed my number.”
It was a plausible explanation, but Jake’s gut was telling him there was more to it. He narrowed his eyes slightly, really taking her in.
She’d gained some weight since he’d found her in that God-forsaken jungle, and the renewed curves looked good on her.Reallyfucking good.
That aside, she was too pale, and the shadows under her eyes worried him. Jake wondered when she’d last had a full night’s sleep. He also noticed Olivia was skittish as hell.
Stepping closer, Jake pulled his hands from his jeans and rested them low on his hips. Trying his best not to come off too gruff, Jake willed himself to speak calmly.
“What’s going on, Liv?”
Finally making eye contact again, she looked much too innocently when she answered, “Nothing.” She started to pass by him to head toward the quaint kitchen on her right. “Would you like something to drink? I can make us some coffee or tea or—”
He gently grabbed ahold of her wrist, stopping both her movement and her words. He heard her tiny gasp, and knew from the pulse pounding against his fingertips that she was just as affected by that simple touch as he was.
Good. We’ll come back to that later, sweetheart.
Speaking more sternly this time, Jake asked, “Are. You. Okay?”
****
The worry on Jake’sface was touching, but Olivia needed more than his worry or pity.Muchmore. And that was the crux of the problem, wasn’t it?
She would always want more than he was willing to give. That pesky little fact proven by his noticeable absence these past two months. Remembering this, Olivia jerked her arm away.
“I told you. I’m fine.”
Doing her best to keep her irritation at bay, Olivia walked into the kitchen to get them both something to drink. She pulled two mugs off the pegs of the black, wooden stand by her stove and set them on the counter.
When she turned around to ask if he wanted tea or coffee, she found Jake standing right in front of her.
Her breath caught in her throat. Mere inches were now all that separated their bodies. The man was so freaking stealthy, she hadn’t even heard him walk over to her.I’ve got to learn how he does that.
Olivia’s mind short-circuited, her thoughts coming in quick fragments.He’s close. So close.Tooclose.
She could feel his warm breath on her face. Smelled the intoxicating mixture of soap and his natural scent.
Olivia remembered his touch. His taste. And it was all too much.
Suffering from sensory overload, she wanted to tell him to back up and give her some space. She wanted to yell and ask him where he’s been for the past two months.
A part of her even wanted to scream at the top of her lungs for him to get the hell out of her house and never come back.
She’d been doing just fine on her own, and didn’t need him showing up here unannounced with his perfect body and freaking crooked smiles.
Just being in the same room as him was messing with her head. So, yep. She wanted him gone.
Then, why aren’t you telling him to leave?
“Is that really what you want to do, Liv?” Jake’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts. He glanced at the mugs behind her. “Drink tea and exchange pleasantries?”
Opening her mouth, Olivia tried to tell him what shereallywanted was for him to go, but nothing came out.
What was wrong with her? Was she really so weak for the man that she’d actually lost her ability to speak?
Apparently, because as Jake leaned toward her with pure determination in his eyes, her vocal chords froze. When his gaze fell onto her mouth, her breaths began to come in short, shallow spurts.
