Falling For You (Pine Ridge Romance Book 3)

by Holly Stevenson

  “Lunch break?” Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I thought we were meeting to discuss the details of the events planned for Saturday.”

  He smiled. “We are. But I can’t handle one more meeting in an office today, and it is lunchtime, so I thought we might take another working lunch together.” A panicked expression crossed her face and he frowned in concern. “Is that all right?”

  “Y-yes,” she stammered. “It’s just that it’s such a busy day and I know your schedule is even busier than mine. Are you sure we can afford to leave for lunch?” Her eyes tightened.

  He released the breath he’d been holding. For a second, he was afraid she was reluctant because she didn’t want to spend time with him. He nodded. “It will do us both good to take a little break. If there’s anything urgent, Jasmine can reach me on my work cell, and the rest will be waiting for us when we get back. It’s important to take some time for yourself,” he added, holding out his hand.

  She glanced shyly up at him through her dark lashes before accepting his hand. The moment her skin touched his, an electric pulse surged through him, making his heart beat fast.

  “You’re right,” she said, standing and dropping his hand to reach for her purse.

  He swallowed, keenly aware of the loss of her touch.

  “It’s funny,” she continued, tilting her head to look at him. “What you said just then sounded a lot like something Hope Sullivan would say.”

  He slid his hands into his pockets to avoid reaching for her again, and shrugged. “Maybe her wisdom is starting to rub off on me.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You’ve watched her yoga videos?”

  “Only one.” He smiled at her surprise. “After you raved about her and booked her to come as a guest instructor, I figured I’d better see what all the hype was about.”

  Her face lit with interest. “Did you do the yoga along with her?”

  He shook his head. “I probably should have, but I’m pretty sure I would sprain something if I tried to move my body like that.” She laughed and his stomach did a somersault. He’d missed that sound. “I just turned it on in the background the other night while I was fixing dinner,” he explained.

  “I’m impressed.”

  “What? That I watched her video?”

  “No. That you fixed dinner.” She looked at him sideways as they walked through the building toward the main exit. “I assumed a busy bachelor like you would go out to eat or get take out for every meal.”

  He chuckled. “And weigh five hundred pounds?” He patted his stomach which, thanks to his morning workouts, was firm. “I have to do something to keep up this girlish figure.” She laughed again and his heart melted. It felt so right being next to her like this. He had to clench his fists at his sides to keep from reaching for her again. “Truth be told, I enjoy cooking,” he admitted.

  “Really?” She glanced at him. “I’m discovering all sorts of secrets about you today.”

  If you only knew. His heart pounded with the unshared secret. “Do you like to cook?” he asked.

  “Honestly, I’m not very good at it. I didn’t do any cooking growing up, but I’m trying to learn,” she said.

  “Your parents didn’t spend much time in the kitchen?”

  The question must have struck a nerve because Liv squinted and pressed her lips into a line. “No. Not much.” Her tone made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She cleared her throat. “Speaking of food, where are we going for lunch? Henry’s again?”

  They’d reached his car so he opened the door for her, grateful that she was allowing him to. “I thought we might try something different. It’s a surprise.”

  She eyed him cautiously. “Like I said . . . you’re full of secrets today.”

  He gave her a crooked smile and leaned his elbow on the open door. “Me with my secrets and you with your schemes—we make quite the pair.”

  She bit her lip, holding his gaze for a moment before looking away. “We should probably get going,” she said. “We don’t want to take too long of a break, considering how much there is to do.”

  Nolan straightened, shaking off the disappointment. “Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time.” What she didn’t know was that he’d had Jasmine block out two hours for this “meeting.” He made sure she was comfortably seated before closing her door, his thoughts swirling as he circled around to his side.

  Olivia was clearly determined to keep things light; always changing the subject when the chemistry between them grew too strong. But he wasn’t about to give up. He excelled at meeting challenges. And now that Liv was unattached, she was a challenge he would enjoy figuring out. She glanced over at him when he got in the car, and his heart stirred with longing.

  Oh yes. He would enjoy it very much.

  Chapter 21

  Olivia fought to keep her breathing steady as she sat next to Nolan. This was so not good. She shouldn’t be alone with him in his car. Not with the kind of attraction she still felt for him. She’d successfully avoided him the past four days, and she’d even mentally prepared herself for today’s meeting. She’d envisioned a brief, formal setting in his office where they would go over the points of her carefully prepared schedule for the opening. She’d outlined everything in bullet points to make the information as streamlined as possible, and to make her time with him as brief as possible, leaving no room for butterflies or blushing.

  And now, here she was, in his car, on the way to a private business lunch. He somehow looked even hotter than usual, and he was teasing her about secrets and surprises. She could only take so much! Her breathing shallowed as she tried not to notice the irresistible scent of his cologne or the strong outline of his profile as he drove, talking about—what was he talking about?! She’d been too distracted to pay attention.

  He glanced at her, quirking an eyebrow. “Don’t you agree?”

  “About what?” she asked, feeling stupid.

  “That this unseasonably warm weather is perfect for the opening? I’m glad that there’s still some color in the trees for the guests to enjoy.”

  “Oh . . . yes.” Her shoulders relaxed. She could do this. She could talk about the opening and other work-related topics. In fact—she squirmed—she should go the extra mile and bring something up that would remind them both of Savannah. She’d been too busy to communicate with any of her friends beyond the group text she’d sent explaining about the breakup after she’d had her cry. They’d offered sympathy, support, and a promised girls’ night out, but beyond that, she hadn’t heard anything. It didn’t occur to her until now how strange that was, considering they usually communicated at least once a day in some form or other. But then, they were all involved in relationships now, so maybe this was the new normal. The thought stung.

  Nolan glanced at her again, and she realized she’d fallen silent. With other people, the silence might have been uncomfortable, but not with him. He smiled at her when she met his eyes, and she blushed. Bah! Blushing wasn’t supposed to be a part of this meeting, but her face wouldn’t cooperate.

  “Sorry,” she apologized. “I was just . . . thinking.”

  “I would expect nothing less from an accomplished schemer,” he teased. “I didn’t want to interrupt and risk disturbing your creative flow.”

  She laughed. “No worries there. I wasn’t scheming this time.”

  He glanced back at the road, his lip twitching. “Now I am intrigued. What’s on your mind?”

  She looked down at her hands. How did he always sense when she was thinking of him? Probably because she was always thinking of him. She lifted a shoulder. “I guess I was just thinking about change. It’s inevitable, just like the seasons.” She looked out the window. This would be a season of loneliness, but she would get used to it. She would eventually accept the fact that Nolan and Savannah were dating and she would find a way to be happy for them.

  Along with working for a minimum of two years, the inheritance clause stipulated tha
t she would receive her inheritance after she became engaged to someone who loved her without knowing of her wealth, or at the age of twenty-eight. Whichever came sooner. That was only a few years away. After that, she could travel the world again, or take up some big cause to help fill the void of having someone special to share it with.

  “Such deep thoughts for such a beautiful day,” Nolan said, bringing her attention back to him. “Those are thoughts for a rainy day—or maybe even a Monday—but not a day like this.” He gave her a coaxing smile and she smiled in spite of herself.

  “You’re right. I’ll save that thought for the next rainy Monday.”

  His eyes warmed. “In that case, I hope the good weather holds out indefinitely. It would be a shame if that gorgeous smile went missing.”

  Her heart stirred. His flirting made her both weightless and heavy at the same time. She loved the way he looked at her, and spending time alone with him—but always on the heels of those emotions was the reminder that he was meant for Savannah. One of her best friends. And she could never find happiness knowing she’d robbed it from someone else. “Have you talked to Savannah lately?” she asked, turning away from him to look out the window again so she wouldn’t see his expression.

  “I talked to her today, actually,” he said. “There was something I needed her help with.”

  The pain in her chest made it hard to breathe, but she forged on. “What was that?”

  He pulled into the parking lot at Riverbend Park and cut the engine. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

  Olivia’s brows pulled together. “I thought we were going to lunch?”

  He grinned. “We are.” He hopped out of the car, but she was still too dazed to act. He opened her door, reaching out his hand. “This way.”

  She took his hand, her heart thrumming at the secretive gleam in his eyes. “This is the surprise you were talking about?” she asked.

  He nodded, interlacing his fingers with hers and sending a shockwave straight through her chest as he kept hold of her hand. “And you talked to Savannah about it?” she persisted, certain her friend wouldn’t approve of her holding Nolan’s hand if she was here somewhere, waiting to meet them for lunch.

  “Yes, but don’t go giving her the credit,” he teased, giving her a warning look. “This was all me. I just needed her help with the execution.”

  Olivia scanned the park, but no one was around. “Where is she?” she asked, ready to let go of his hand any moment while desperately not wanting to.

  “Who? Savannah? She’s not here.” He smiled and motioned to a plaid blanket spread a few yards off, with a wicker picnic basket on top.

  Olivia gaped. “What’s that?”

  He laughed. “It’s our lunch. I didn’t want to let this perfect day go to waste, so I thought we could eat outside.” He must have noticed her dumbfounded expression, because his smile slipped. “I hope that’s all right?”

  She tried to make sense of what was happening. “I don’t understand . . . will Savannah be joining us? You said she helped with this.”

  “She came and set it up for me, since she knew how busy my schedule has been.”

  Olivia shook her head, unable to believe that her friend would be okay with her having a romantic picnic lunch with her almost-boyfriend. She dropped his hand. “I feel bad that Savannah went to all of this trouble and I’m the one who gets to enjoy it.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll call her and the three of us can have lunch together.”

  He bit the corner of his lip. “She’s got wedding stuff today, so she can’t make it.”

  “I’m sure she can spare a few minutes.”

  “Liv,” he touched her hand, waiting until she met his eyes, “I sort of planned this whole thing so I could have some time alone . . . with you.”

  Her heart pounded. This was all wrong. Maybe he’d been working himself so hard he was becoming delusional. She squinted. “Don’t you mean Savannah? You should be having alone time with her. This,” she pointed between them, “is supposed to be a business lunch.”

  He shook his head, keeping hold of her gaze. “There’s nothing but friendship between Savannah and me.”

  She took a step back, blinking hard. “That can’t be right. You’ve been dating and texting. All the signs are there.” She looked away, folding her arms. “Savannah is an amazing girl, Nolan. She’s the whole package. I can tell she cares for you, and I couldn’t forgive myself for getting in the way of that.” Her lungs squeezed so tight it hurt.

  “It was Savannah’s idea to set us up.”

  Her eyes snapped to his and he ran a hand through his dark hair, a sheepish expression on his face. “She sort of guessed that I had feelings for you—and gave me hope that you might feel the same way.”

  “She did?” Olivia’s heart climbed into her throat. She wanted to be mad at Savannah for going behind her back, but her mind was too preoccupied by the look Nolan gave her—and what he’d just admitted.

  He nodded and took a step closer. “The first time I saw you at Jade and Connor’s wedding, I wanted to get to know you better. But you started dating Trent right away, so there was nothing I could do.” His hazel eyes were vulnerable as he searched her face. “When you stepped into my office, applying for the job, I knew I was in trouble. It was as if fate brought you back to me, and yet you weren’t available. It was torture.”

  She blinked, her breaths growing shallow. There was open admiration in his eyes now as he stepped closer; close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she wanted to.

  He lowered his voice, “The more I spend time with you, Liv, the harder I fall.”

  Her heart hammered against her ribcage and her mouth went dry.

  He squinted. “When Savannah told me you were breaking up with Trent, I wanted to confess my feelings right away, but she suggested I wait.” He tilted his head to the side, studying her as he reached for her hand. “I know I probably should have given it more time, and I know I’m your boss and working relationships can get complicated, but if that’s the issue, I’ll find another job.”

  Her mouth opened, but before she could protest, he took her other hand. “Maybe it’s selfish, but I can’t wait one more day to tell you how I feel.” He searched her eyes. “Is there any chance you feel the same way?”

  She blinked several times, her mind reeling. He liked her. Nolan liked her and he wasn’t dating Savannah. All of the emotion she’d struggled to hold back filled her heart to bursting. She bit her lip, meeting his eyes as she nodded. “I feel exactly the same way.”

  Nolan went completely still and then closed the distance between them, taking Liv’s face in his hands and drawing her mouth to his. Her senses ignited the moment his lips met hers. His kiss was intoxicating and explosive like a stream of fireworks, while at the same time coaxing and sweet like warm honey drizzling down her spine. She had never been kissed like this. Her heart beat erratically, wanting and needing Nolan so much it ached.

  He took the lead and she followed, blissfully unaware of anything else as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her like he would never get enough. After a few minutes, he pulled away, pressing his forehead against hers as he fought to steady his breathing.

  “So I take it you’re not opposed to dating your boss?” His mouth curved up roguishly in one corner.

  Her heart fluttered. He had such a captivating smile. She bit her bottom lip. “Not even a little bit,” she said.

  “Good. Because I’m not going to be able to hide that fact that I’m crazy about you.” He grinned and gave her another quick kiss before taking her hand. “But I guess I’d better let you eat your lunch before it gets cold, or we’ll hear about it from Savannah. She insisted on getting takeout from Henry’s.”

  Olivia smiled. “You don’t want to mess with Savannah when she insists on something.”

  “I can imagine,” he teased before pausing to look at her again. He ran a hand gently down the side of her face. “I have a lot to thank her f
or, that’s for sure.”

  “So do I.” She would give Savannah a huge hug the next time she saw her—and then maybe give her a hard time about talking to Nolan behind her back. Leave it to her self-proclaimed matchmaking friend to complicate things. But Olivia could hardly be angry with the way everything worked out. Maybe there was hope for Savannah as a matchmaker, after all.

  Nolan set out the food and paper plates, and they sat with shoulders touching, eating and discussing plans for the grand opening. “It’s going to be sensational,” Olivia said, unwrapping her sandwich. “Now that I won’t be distracted with battling my feelings for you anymore,” she slid him a coy look, “I can put more focus on the events and activities planned for that day.”

  “I know what you mean,” he said, reaching for a chilled bottle of lemonade. “I’m not good at hiding things and I don’t like secrets, which is why I couldn’t keep from telling you any sooner.” He chuckled. “Fred will be glad to have me back with my head in the game, that’s for sure.” He untwisted the cap on the bottle before handing it to her.

  “Thanks.” Olivia gave him a weak smile. She didn’t like keeping secrets either, but she didn’t have a choice when it came to the inheritance clause. If Nolan didn’t like secrets, how would he feel when he found out she wasn’t really who she said she was?

  Chapter 22

  Nolan stood at the desk beside Jasmine and the other front desk clerks, greeting guests as they arrived. They’d officially opened the doors to the Pine Ridge Resort this morning, and they were fully booked for the next three months. Projections looked good, and Nolan was on cloud nine. All of the hours of work and preparation were paying off, and other than a few minor staffing issues, the opening was going over without a hitch.

  He’d offered to drive Olivia to work early that morning, knowing it would probably be his only chance to see her today as they were both involved with their various tasks. A number of city officials and other honorary guests had been invited for the opening. Nolan had already greeted a few, looking after their needs and making sure they were taken care of before moving to the next VIP. He scanned the lobby, gratified to see the many photos being taken and the smiles on faces young and old. This was what he’d envisioned when he’d taken on the job as manager. He loved making people happy.