You'll Think of Me (41 page)

He didn’t have to say it for her to see. It was written in his eyes. Nate’s eyes softened as their eyes locked. He was still hurt but was getting by.

He cleared his throat. “I’m good. Just working a lot. You look good, Liv. Beautiful as always.”

She felt a blush crawl up her neck and settle in her cheeks as she smiled from Nate’s compliment.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Want to take a seat?”

Nate nodded. “And how are you doing?” he asked.

“Uh, pretty good I suppose. Same as you… Busy with work and all.”

“That’s good.”

Talk about a stifled, awkward conversation. She needed to switch it up.

“Just so you know…I cared about you and can’t help but feel awful about everything that went down between us. I know it was entirely my fault, but I never meant to cause you pain, Nate. I swear it.”

He nodded in agreement. “It is your fault, Liv. We could’ve had it all.”

She sucked in a breath at his honesty.

But,” he continued, “It’s over and done with. I’m moving on and I know you will too.”

Olivia treaded carefully. “Have you moved on?”

His chuckle at her question. “You mean with another woman? No, not quite. And I don’t plan to anytime soon, either.”

She bobbed her head. “I know you’ll make someone happy one day. She’ll be a lucky lady.”

“I wanted to make you happy.”

Her throat tightened. “I’m sorry,” she said as she looked down dejectedly at the table.

Nate placed a hand over hers and rubbed along her knuckles with his rough thumb. “Don’t be.” She looked up at him. “I’m not trying to hurt you, Olivia, just speaking the truth. It hurt like hell when I walked away. But I had to. For both of us.”

“I understand. I just feel terrible about it.”

“You’ll get over it in time. I’m sure Luke will help with that.”

She raised her eyebrows at the mention of Luke’s name. Nate smiled.

“Olivia King, you can’t fool me, remember? You may not have gone back yet, but you will. I left so you
can
go back to him. You go after what you want. But the difference is that not only do you chase after what you want until you get it, but you make your vision a reality whereas most give up easily. It’s what I liked about you—your eyes show your strength of mind and dedication. I’m not saying Luke is your dream or chase or whatever, but somehow he falls into your plans. It’s okay… Go.”

Strangely, it’s what she needed to hear, yet she felt so selfish hearing it.

“I just don’t understand how you can be okay with that, or even utter the words.”

Nate’s intense, amber eyes looked deeply into hers. “I’m a grown man, Liv, not a damn child. I can accept loss when it’s due and still wake up the next day. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy at first, but I’ll get by.”

How she ever screwed up a relationship with a man as genuine and compassionate as Nate she’d never know.

“You’re a good man, Nathaniel.”

Nate stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. Looking down at her, he said, “People come into our lives for a reason. Sometimes to help us guide our way for a short period of time and other times to stay. Whether they’re meant to be there for a month, two months or four years, they’re there. Maybe you came to let me know I can feel love again. Who knows? Only time will tell.”

Olivia’s lips parted in surprise as all the air decompressed from her lungs. Her chest ached from the pressure building inside as she struggled to breathe. He had given her so little of his past while they were together, and an admission like that left her with many questions.

“It’s about time for me to go, Liv. You take care, okay?” She nodded.

Olivia stood and pulled Nate into a tight embrace and held on for a moment. Pulling back, it was her turn to kiss his cheek lightly.

“You too, Nate.”

S
he was finally ready.

Luke opened the door to Olivia standing in front of him in a pair of little shorts and flip flops. Her hair was swept up in a loose tie with pieces framing her sweet face. She had on the tightest tank top he’d ever seen and it made his mouth water. Her heavy breasts pushed up from the low cut neckline and a heart shaped necklace lay at the crease of her breasts, glistening in the sun.
Fuck.
His whiskey girl always looked so damn sexy to him.

“Care Bear.”

And then she gave him a smile that made her beautiful face glow. And that’s all it took for Luke.

He knew.

Closing the distance with two long strides, Luke didn’t waste any time. He yanked Olivia to him, holding her face between his hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

“You finally ready to kiss me now? Are we gonna do this?”

She nodded her head with a tight lipped grin, her eyes glowing with happiness.

“You sure?”

She nodded again.

“And you’re not going to leave me again, are you?”

The smile never left her lips as she shook her head no.

“Because if you do, you know I’m following you anywhere you go, right?”

Olivia gave Luke a big smile. “Or I can follow you.”

“Well go on and kiss me then, whiskey—”

Olivia pressed her lips to his fast before he could finish the sentence. They both sighed in unison from the contact, knowing this was it. That it was finally just them. No more running, no more arguing, no more being apart. It was just them, how it always should have been from the start. They’d been apart for ten years at this point, and that was ten years too long.

Never leaving her mouth, Luke reached down to her fabulous ass that he couldn’t wait to get his hands on and hoisted her up. Walking inside, he slammed the door shut with his foot. He’d love nothing more than to slam her up against the wall and fuck her six ways to Sunday, but he wouldn’t. He was going to make love to her the right way, and that was in his bed where she was going to stay from now on.

Or in hers. Whichever she wanted. Luke was going to make it all about her from this day on and give her everything she wanted.

Taking two steps at a time up the stairs, Luke nearly sprinted to his room with Olivia locked around his torso, joined at the mouth the entire time. The last thing Luke wanted to do was allow her to leave the sanctuary of his arms after he finally got her back.

Luke crossed the floor of his large room to his bed while Livy’s sweet ass sat in the palms of his hands. The feel of her so close had him raging for more on the inside. He didn’t want to rip her clothes off and take her like a caveman, but dear God, he was so close to doing so. He was struggling to keep it reined in.

The shades in his room were still drawn from earlier in the day, and it exuded a dark but cozy feel to it. The cool air plucked at Luke’s hypersensitive skin as he laid Olivia gently down at the base of his rumpled bed.

“I’m going to try and go slow. Lord knows it won’t be easy on me.”

“Okay,” she answered with a ragged breath.

His hands were planted near the sides of her head as he hovered above her. He cupped the side of her face and leaned down for a soft kiss, pulling at her lip with his teeth before he let go and retreated back. Ever so slowly, Luke slid his hand from the side of Livy’s face. He caressed the curve of her neck to her shoulder and ran his fingers delicately over her collarbone. Olivia released a seductive sigh that made Luke’s cock twinge. Her back arched and her breast grazed the underside of his hand, sending heat straight to Luke’s groin.

This was going to be tough on him indeed.

Tearing his gaze away from Livy’s body, Luke looked into her eyes to gauge her response.

Just as he had hoped. Olivia’s heavy lids fluttered just from his touch, her cheeks flushed and lips parted. He couldn’t even imagine how it was going to be once he was inside her.

Reaching for her denim shorts, his fingers slipped inside to remove them. He ran his hand up her leg and over her thigh, stopping at her hip where he tightened his grip. The pressure of his hand had Olivia’s hips arching in pleasure.

“It’s okay, Livy. We can stop if you’re not ready.”

Olivia shook her head. “I am ready. Just nervous is all.”

Luke saw apprehension in her eyes. He wanted to ease it away so it would never return. Pushing her legs together and onto the bed, he laid next her and took her mouth once again, but this time in a tantalizing roughness. He was going to show her how it could be forever with him.

Their tongues linked together and Olivia felt her body melting in pleasure. She’d forgotten how seductive his kisses were and how effortlessly her body turned to liquid just from his touch. She dropped one leg and dragged it across his waist, opening herself up slowly to him. Luke took the invite and rested his weight carefully on her body. His fingers threaded her wavy locks while he got reacquainted with her mouth, this time not missing any part of it. She wound her legs around his waist, feeling his hard length against his zipper as he ground into her sex. Olivia released a heated moan, her panties already wet. The moan only fueled him even more as he ate at her mouth like he was making love to it. Luke’s strong hands held her in place and with the grinding, Olivia was building, a firestorm of need lighting up her body, starting at the tips of her toes and settling in her lower belly.

Luke thrust his hips and she groaned. The sound that fled from her lips had Luke in agony. They hadn’t even done much yet, and he was already dying to sink into her and stay there for hours. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to hang on, but was going to try his damnedest. Reaching around, Luke swiftly yanked her panties down from one side of her hip.

Olivia widened her legs. She was soaking wet as two fingers slid down, creating a steady friction against her lips. The impending climax was a steady pressure against her sex that was building inside her.

“Luke,” she moaned when his immediately found her center and thrust inside. Her hips jerked against his steady fingers as Luke produced a guttural groan from deep inside his chest.

He pulled her lip between his teeth and asked, “What? What do
you
need?”

“You. I need you. Always.”

“Take your shirt off for me.”

Nearly ripping her shirt in two, she threw it on the floor and Luke found her creamy soft skin. Running his tongue from her collarbone to neck leaving a trail of wetness, he grabbed her flesh with his teeth and bit down hard. The walls of Olivia’s sex began to spasm around his fingers, her orgasm on the verge of release.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Luke said between his teeth and pulled his fingers out.

Olivia almost saw stars as Luke taunted her body. She was on the brink of an orgasm when he pulled out and looked at her. She reached for him and he pulled back. Her eyes narrowed with question as she stared at him. Olivia immediately felt the absence of him and wanted him back. She kicked out her foot and tried to grab him, but he stepped away.

“Stop playing with me, Luke.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and waited.

Hopping off the bed, Olivia tracked him with a darkened gaze. An arrogant smirk formed on his face, his gleaming eyes meeting hers with a knowing look. The man knew what he was doing to her, and knew the control he had over her body.

It was the same control he had since the day they met.

Olivia followed Luke as he stepped back and pressed into the wall. He raised his arms in surrender. He had worked her up to a titillating high and then stopped, leaving her hanging and nearly begging for more.

Leaning into him, she placed her palms on the side of his chest against the wall, his leg sandwiched between hers. “What are you up to, hmmm?”

“Nothing, baby.”

“Oh, really? What was that for then? To show the power you have over my body?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He raised his thigh and pushed against her naked sex.

Yes...

Olivia pressed into his rigid body, feeling his shaft through his clothing. Reaching down, she went to grasp him in her palm, but Luke grabbed her wrist and held it behind her back. He pulled the other one down and secured both wrists tightly with one hand.

Luke hissed in a breath when Olivia bit his chest. He grabbed her hair and yanked her back, his skin pulling from the hold of her teeth.