Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid (10 page)

SEVENTEEN

‘Let me go.’
Olivia’s voice had changed. It was thick with dislike.

He held her steady. His blood was running hot now. There was no way in hell she was going outside of this room. Not like this. All fired up for revenge. And definitely not dressed in those outrageously small panties.

‘I am here, Olivia. If you want to yell at someone, or punch someone, or...’ He let his eyes slide over her face, taking in the curve of her jaw and the smooth skin of her neck. ‘It’ll be me. You’re not going to be with anyone else tonight.’

Right at that moment he felt it. He was sure of what he was saying and the resolution felt so secure he didn’t even question himself. She was his. No one else’s. Whatever she wanted to do it would be to him.

The fire bounced off her eyes and he felt it on his. Hot. Greedy.

Still holding on to her arm, he picked his jacket up off the floor where it had fallen. ‘Put this on.’

For a moment he thought she was going to yell at him or punch him, but she didn’t say anything. She flicked her arm from his grasp and pulled the jacket from his hands, slipping her arms through it before heading to the bed and perching on the edge, her face turned away and her arms crossed in front of her.

She looked defiant and angry. But she wasn’t getting away that easily. ‘Now, talk to me.’

* * *

Olivia’s heart was pumping. She could hear it in her ears. She could hear Edward’s voice in her ears.
‘Olivia might be all right for a bit of fun, but I can assure you I’m not interested in having fun with her.’

She’d thought she had hardened up. She’d thought that no one’s careless words could ever hurt her again. She’d thought she’d made peace with who she was and what she was. But obviously—the searing heat that ran through her body told her—she wasn’t.

She was still the little girl lying awake, wondering why her parents didn’t like her. Still that pimply teenager who was too shy to talk to the boys because she knew they wouldn’t ever go for her. Still that silly party girl who drank too much and dodged responsibility. Dodged life.

Edward was right—the Artful Dodger. She’d made avoiding hurt an art form. But now instead of dodging her feelings she was smack-bang in the middle of them. She wanted to get away from them. She wanted to get out and find a stupid drunk London toff and have him throw insincere compliments at her and avoid dealing with the hurt. But Edward wouldn’t let her.

She sneaked a sideways glance at him. He was sitting by the door in a flower-covered armchair. His long legs looked even longer as he leaned over on them, his forearms resting on his knees, his once perfect hair all messy and lying in waves across his forehead. He was looking at her. He was always looking at her. She felt like a fly caught in a web. As if she couldn’t get away from him. And, like a spider, he was insisting she spill her guts.

She turned away again, shifting on the bed. She was naked and acting like a child. She knew it but she couldn’t stop. She breathed in deeply, hoping it would calm her, but a waft of Edward’s strong male scent surrounded her. The jacket was laced with his sexy smell and it was making her head spin.

‘Olivia, look at me. We need to talk and I’m not going anywhere until we do.’

‘You want to talk? Then tell me about James.’

Edward’s face paled. She’d struck a nerve, exposed his weak spot, just as he had exposed hers. If he wanted her to spill then he would have to do the same. Edward could be lovely and kind, but there was a part of him that was all locked up. A part she couldn’t get to and she needed to know.

‘That’s what I want to talk about.’

Edward stood up and paced. He strode to one side of the room and inspected the landscape picture that was hanging there.

‘What do you want to know?’ he asked quietly.

‘Why doesn’t anyone talk about him? I didn’t even know you had another brother.’

Edward paced to the other side of the room. His muscular thighs strained against his black trousers and Olivia watched his legs until he stopped and spoke.

‘It’s hard for us. James was so young and it was a terrible time.’

His words hung in the air. His tone had changed. She could hear the pain and she didn’t know why, so she didn’t know what to say.

‘What happened?’

‘We were all at the lake. I got distracted and James paid the price.’

Olivia heard the raw pain in his voice and wanted to go to him, but she was sure he wouldn’t want that. And she didn’t want to torture him any more.

‘I’m not the man you want me to be, Olivia. You need someone who can take care of you. Someone who can focus on you. And I can’t. I have too many other things to focus on.’

Edward turned to face her. Even though she was wearing nothing but a tiny G-string—and she was alone in a strange room with a man who was almost a stranger—she felt safer than she had in a long time. He was telling her not to trust him but she had never trusted anyone more. Ever.

He stopped pacing and came to sit next to her on the bed. She could feel the warmth from his big body and hear him breathing. His face colour went back to normal and calm descended over him again.

Olivia stayed still.

He had followed her. He was still with her and right then she realised she didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want him to give up on her.

‘Did you mean it when you told Will you didn’t want me?’ Her throat was thick, but now was the time to be honest. There was only the two of them here and Olivia had to know. She had to hear from him that there was nothing between them.

‘That’s not what I said. I said I didn’t want to have fun with you. I don’t want to use you,’ he said gruffly.

The look on his face was one she’d not seen on a man in a long time. Concern. Interest. He sat silent, his hands clasped in between his knees. He was waiting. For her to speak. As if what she had to say was important. It made her shift again and she pulled the jacket closer around her, suddenly aware of how exposed she was.

‘Why not? We both know what this is. One weekend. You’d only have to focus on me for one weekend. Then I go home and you can go back to your life...your responsibilities.’

She watched his reaction with a pounding chest. She was offering him comfort. She wanted comfort from him. That was all. One weekend. She knew she couldn’t keep his interest for longer than that—but one weekend. She could do that.

But he didn’t move. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want one weekend. He didn’t want to focus on her. Disappointment made her sick. She wanted to walk out, away from his dark eyes that seemed set on hers. But the pull of him was so strong. The sight of him watching her. The air around them seemed to hum with a throbbing chant.
Do it, do it, do it.

‘I’m sorry I kissed you again, Edward.’

Edward’s eyes slid to her lips. He was so close and so handsome and so incredibly out of her reach that she was feeling a little sick. That she’d even considered
thinking
he might sleep with her was ridiculous. Her mouth turned up in a wry smile. As if. But then she remembered his words.
‘My beautiful Olivia,’
he’d whispered into her hair.
‘I’m right here.’
Her smile disappeared as longing beat a message on her heart. Deep, long, sad longing.

‘I’m sorry I threw myself at you and got naked in front of you and cried and hit you and...’

Edward’s lips were soft but firm against hers. She felt his big, leathery palm against her cheek and she couldn’t breathe. She pulled away and looked at his eyes, which were dark and intense.

‘Edward...’

Then he kissed her again, and this time he wouldn’t let her pull away. He slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in closer, opening his mouth and moving against her to draw her in. For a moment she was confused, but once the taste of him landed on her tongue and his deep, dark scent wound around her face she let herself fall.

‘Stop talking, Olivia. Stop apologising,’ he murmured into her hair, before letting his chin drop so he could plant a row of wet kisses down her neck.

‘But you...and I...’

His head popped back up.

‘Olivia,’ he said in a stop-arguing tone. ‘Stop talking.’

She stopped talking. Her heart beat hard in her chest.

‘And kiss me,’ he added darkly.

This time she didn’t hesitate. She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He responded with a force that surprised her. His breathing was ragged and his hands roamed inside the jacket, finding her hips and her stomach and her breasts. His lips kissed her mouth and her cheeks and her jawline and his mouth moved lower and lower.

‘You have the most beautiful body I’ve ever seen.’

His words vibrated on her skin as he took her nipple in his mouth and kissed it with a long, deep, wet kiss. She felt her body spasm in pure pleasure. Then he moved to the other nipple and flicked his thumb over the hard nub before taking it greedily in his mouth.

Olivia felt as if she was flying. All she could see was the top of his dark head and all she could hear were the groans of his pleasure that filled the silence. She let a moan escape and he looked up.

‘Lie back,’ he ordered. ‘Let me see you. Let me touch you.’

Olivia shivered at his words and the way he’d said them. As if he was begging her.

He slid one large hand down her thigh, past her knee and over the muscles in her calf, before taking the heel of her shoe and slipping it off. Then, his eyes on her body, he moved to the other foot and slipped her shoe off before moving his hands over the base of her foot, up her calf and over her thigh, stopping at the top of her preposterously small panties.

‘These are very silly things,’ he said, and smiled.

Olivia’s heart flipped. The man was handsome, but when he smiled...? He was almost too gorgeous to look at. She kept looking regardless.

‘Why don’t you take them off me, then?’

His smile disappeared and his eyes turned dark.

‘But if I take them off you’ll be wearing nothing. You’ll have nothing left to hide behind.’

There was a seriousness to his voice that she couldn’t miss. She knew he was out of her league. He was too handsome and too smart and too together. But she felt it was right that she should be here with him. As if she was good enough for him just the way she was.

‘I don’t want to hide. I want you to see me.’

He leaned down until his face was close to hers. Softly he brushed his lips against hers and she let her head fall back. He kissed her eyes and her cheeks and her lips again, before moving to a spot underneath her ear that made her body hum when he kissed her there.

‘I see you, Olivia.’

Her eyes closed and she couldn’t see what he was doing. But she could feel it. Feel his hands as they spread over her belly. His fingers as they clasped the top of her underwear and pulled it down. Then his hands moved firmly up her legs and behind her buttocks, until she could feel his hot breath against her, heating her right where she needed to be touched.

She pushed herself up further and sighed, but he didn’t touch her. His hands came up behind her back and he lifted her. Up off the bed. Her eyes flew open and she saw the predatory glint in his eyes. Opening her legs, she wrapped them around his waist and he lifted her until her lips were level with his. His breathing was hot and heavy, and one hand had moved up to her hair while his other held her strong in the small of her back.

His hot lips slid against hers and pushed with a violence that surprised her. He wanted her. Couldn’t get enough of her. With a smile she pulled away and burrowed her face into his neck.

‘One weekend,’ she murmured.

The deep lust in his eyes was evident and his lips were swollen where he’d been kissing her.

‘One weekend,’ he said gruffly.

She looked at his eyes. All serious. She wanted more. So much more. But all she could have was one weekend. And she was going to take it.

* * *

Edward’s eyes slid to her lips and he stilled. His breathing was heavy. Olivia shifted, as if she were searching for the tip of his erection and trying to press it against her. Did she know how much she drove him wild? Did she realise how out of control she made him? But he couldn’t lose it. Not this time. One weekend, she’d said. That was all this was.

‘One amazing weekend.’

She came closer and pressed her lips against his. He responded by opening his mouth. She pushed her hot mouth against him and he felt his brain spiral. Her fingers gripped his hair, holding on to him, and he had to pull back. He had to stay in charge. It was the only way he could do this.

She pushed herself down on him again but he held her up. When her eyes looked at him, holding a question, he leaned forward and nipped at her bottom lip. It was full and soft and bounced back out from between his teeth again. A soft whisper escaped and that fuzzy feeling came back.

He held her against the wall, felt her soft skin squirming beneath him. He ran his lips down her neck to the hollow in between her collarbones. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to touch her all over. But he couldn’t. He had to restrain himself. But it was hard as she bucked against him.

His jacket slipped from around her shoulders and he could see all of her, naked and glorious. He pushed his hand down and found the slick opening he’d dreamt about last night. Her sweet cinnamon scent wafted around him and she went silent, before quietly groaning. He moved up and down smoothly, watching her to see what she liked. He found the hard nub and used his finger to flick against it. He wanted to see her buck. But he wasn’t expecting it to be so violent. She looked at him, her eyes wild.

He flicked again and watched in wonder as she came undone beneath him. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and the sound of her coming in the back of her throat had him transfixed. She was so responsive and so turned on and his control almost slipped again.
Almost.
She stilled. Then her eyes opened and she looked at him.

‘What the hell was that?’

A look of pure lustful pleasure spread across her face and he felt his chest expand with the idea that he’d put it there.