by Kennedy Fox
Not wasting a second, she pulls it from her pocket, unlocks it, and groans. “Great.”
I search her face. “Now what?”
Olivia turns her phone around and lets me read the message.
Rachel: I’d like a slice of chocolate cake, gluten-free, low carb, with a side of sugar-free sprinkles. Also, Angel needs to be taken out and fed. I’m going to rest my eyes before my meetup tonight. So be quiet when you come in.
Olivia turns around and looks at the table that’s still full of shit. She’s about to have a meltdown.
“How about I take care of that, and you finish up here?” I tell her. We’re standing so damn close to each other I can smell the sweetness of her skin.
I didn’t expect her to agree with me, because that’s just not in her character. “I’m sure Rachel wouldn’t apprec–”
I place my finger over her soft lips, and she immediately stops talking. “I’ll handle her.”
Green eyes bore into mine, and I smirk as Olivia swallows hard. Reluctantly, I remove my finger from her mouth. Her lips slightly part, and at that moment, before she can even mutter a word, I’m so tempted to kiss her.
“Okay,” she whispers, then nods. “Please make sure it’s gluten free, low carb, and sugar free. Just buy her chocolate-covered cardboard at this point and call it cake.” Olivia finally smiles.
“With all this charm I have, she’ll take whatever I give her and eat it with a grin.”
Laughter erupts from her. “Don’t flatter yourself. The woman can smell gluten from a mile away.”
Olivia pulls her business credit card from her back pocket, along with Rachel’s room key and hands them to me. “When you walk into her room, all the lights are going to be out, and the curtains will be shut. Don’t say a word. Put the cake on the desk with some plasticware and grab that little shit stain of a dog and bring it outside. Trust me when I say Rachel will pretend you’re invisible. She might not even notice it’s you. Get in and out as quick as you possibly can, please.”
“I can handle this. Just trust me,” I tell her, giving her a wink of confidence.
“I do. And that’s the scary part.” She smiles.
“Ouch. Nothing like a compliment wrapped with poison. I’ll be back. If she adds anything to her ridiculous fuckin’ list, text me.” For a moment, we hold eye contact and unspoken words stream between us.
“Thank you,” she finally says, breaking the tension by walking back toward the table to finish packing.
I laugh. “You owe me. Like really, really owe me.”
“Add it to my tab.” Olivia smirks over her shoulder, and she looks so goddamn cute. I take a mental snapshot and walk out of the ballroom with a shit-eating grin plastered on my face.
Pulling out my phone, I do a quick Google search and find a place close by who conveniently has what Rachel wants, stupid sugar-free sprinkles and all. It takes all of ten minutes for me to get the cake that smells like sweet cardboard and head up to Rachel’s room.
I swipe the key card, and the room is exactly how Olivia described it. I pull my phone out to see, place the cake on the desk, and see Angel who’s wagging her tail at me. Quietly, I find the leash and snap it on her collar. This little dog is the sweetest thing in the world. I really don’t know what Olivia is talking about.
As soon as I step outside and set Angel on the grass, she instantly finds a spot to go. Once she’s finished, I pick her up and walk back to the elevator. The doors slide open, and I step inside, followed by a group of women. When I turn around with Angel, they all burst out into aww’s.
“Her bows are so adorable,” one woman says, petting her. Angel’s little nub of a tail is wagging back and forth.
The elevator seems to stop at every floor on the way up to Rachel’s, and eventually, I’m the only person left. Two more floors. Damn. The elevator stops once more, and Olivia steps in, which causes the air around me to evaporate. As soon as Angel sees her, she starts growling and barking like a maniac. I burst out into laughter because I swear it’s like I’m holding two different animals when Olivia is around.
“Angel, shh. I was just complimenting your manners,” I say between laughs.
“Isn’t she the worst animal in the world?” Olivia asks, glaring at the dog.
My chuckles echo off the walls as the doors slide open, and we step out.
“I’ll take her back, just in case.” Olivia holds her arms out, and Angel is ready to bite her fingers off.
“No, I’ll keep her. We can go together. I’m sure you need your arms for all the work you need to do. Did you get the boxes to your room?” I follow behind Olivia as she leads the way to Rachel’s room.
“Yeah. The bellman took them for me.” There’s slight relief in her voice, and I’m happy she’s a lot calmer than she was thirty minutes ago.
Pulling the key card from my pocket, I swipe it, and Olivia opens the door. The room is still dark. I take the leash off Angel as Olivia walks to her bowl with the flashlight on her phone activated and pours food into it.
“Olivia?” Rachel says from the black abyss. Olivia looks at me, places her finger over her mouth, and turns the flashlight off.
“Yes?” she asks quietly.
Rachel lets out an overdramatic sigh and takes her time before speaking up. My eyes are rolling so hard in the back of my head, but I honestly wish I could see Olivia’s face right now.
“What do you need, Rachel?” Olivia asks her, flatly.
“Have you noticed how Maverick looks at you like you’re a delicate flower?” Rachel asks.
Now I’m happy as fuck the lights are off.
“I think you’re imagining things. The cake is on the table. I’ll see you in the morning,” Olivia quickly says.
Rachel doesn’t say another word, and I hear Olivia walking toward me swiftly and nearly runs into me. I grab her by the shoulders and stop her, and we make our way through the suite. The two of us can’t get the hell out of there quick enough. We step into the hallway, and Olivia is shaking her head. Annoyance is written all over her face.
“See how delusional she is?” she asks, walking toward the elevator with her fists clenched.
I nod and let out a nervous laugh, but I can’t help but wonder if Rachel is right.
She actually might be.
Chapter Fifteen
OLIVIA
I’m forcing myself to walk in front of Maverick because I’m so damn embarrassed by what Rachel said. My cheeks are hot, and I’m flustered.
A delicate flower? I roll my eyes thinking about it. For someone who’s so eloquent with words, she could’ve used a better descriptor. Me and delicate don’t go together, and I take pride in having my shit together, regardless if I’m forcing it half the time. Not to mention, Maverick doesn’t look at me any differently from the way he looks at Rachel’s readers. I would know; I caught myself watching him a little too often today. He’s an absolute natural around people, giving them the attention they desire from him. There wasn’t one woman who left his presence feeling less than. So she’s just looking into it too deeply, searching for shit that’s not there.
I step inside the elevator and hold the door for Maverick. He joins me, and I press our floor since his room is actually somewhat close to mine. An awkward tension lingers between us, and I’m not really sure what to say or if I need to talk at all, but the silence draws on, and it’s almost too much for me to handle.
“I’m sorry you heard her be like that. I’m sure if she knew you were there, she wouldn’t have said that,” I tell him. His hazel eyes meet mine, and my heart lurches forward, beating wildly, and I try to push it down. Maverick gives me a half grin which practically makes me melt before the elevator doors open.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think you’re a delicate flower, Olivia. You’re strong and fierce. You’re a badass.”
My breath hitches, and I’m so damn happy I’m walking in front of him again so he can’t see the blush on my cheeks. That mi
ght be the sweetest thing anyone has said to me. “Thank you.”
“What are your plans tonight?” he asks me as I stop at my room, then laughs because he already knows. “Right.”
I’m doing what I do every night—working. “You can join me if you want. Not sure I’ll be the best company, but...”
“Let me go back to my room and grab some things, and I’ll be back.”
My eyes meet his. “I really have a lot of work to do.”
With hands held up, he grins. “I promise not to be a bother.”
His tongue slides out and licks his bottom lip, and I find myself staring. The man is sexy as hell without even trying. “Okay. Good.”
As Maverick walks down the hallway toward his room, I enter mine, shut the door, and lean against it. My heart is beating so hard in my chest. I understand why women go crazy for him, but he’s more than his looks. At that moment, I find myself smiling thinking about him, but then Rachel’s voice subconsciously screams at me. Shaking my head, I push it all away. First of all, there’s no way a man like him would ever be with someone like me. We’re complete opposites. I really don’t know why she’s so damn concerned about it.
I grab my phone and see I have a message from Vada, more than likely looking for an update. Too bad she’ll be sadly disappointed.
Vada: Did you find out his girth yet?
Olivia: Like a Coke can.
Vada: REALLY?!
Olivia: No, you perv!
Vada: Bummer. So what? Like an uncooked hot dog then?
Olivia: Omg. I have no idea.
Vada: So you’re saying you haven’t slept with him yet? How’s that possible?
Olivia: Willpower, self-control, the desire to keep my job.
Vada: Boring, boring, and double boring. Why are you keeping yourself from that delicious hunk of man meat? I already told Ethan he’s my hall pass.
Olivia: I don’t remember you being this weird. Was I just clueless back then or oblivious to your quirks?
Vada: Both, I’m sure. I’m sleep deprived, and my nipples feel like hardened pepperoni. Give your girl something over here!
I snort at her choice of words. Between breastfeeding, pumping, and diaper changes, I imagine Vada is completely unhinged.
Olivia: We’ve been getting along, and I’m enjoying his company.
Vada: Okay, Grandma.
Olivia: What? That’s the truth! We’ve had some “moments” I guess you could say, but we both know the rules. Plus, I don’t just sleep around. Even if he was attracted to me that way, nothing could come of it. We live worlds apart, and we’re complete opposites. It’d just hurt in the end when reality hit.
Vada: Liv. You know I love you, but you, my friend, are using avoidance techniques to keep your distance. You come up with any excuse as to why you shouldn’t instead of following your heart and listening to the list of reasons why you should. You figure if you never go for it, you can’t get hurt. You’re trying to control everything in your life when, in reality, you just can’t.
Olivia: But they aren’t excuses if they’re the truth, right? Say I sleep with him and I get even more attached and then at the end of the trip, we go our separate ways because that’s what’s going to happen. I live in Chicago, and he’s in LA. What’s the point?
Vada: Do you think when you’re old and on your deathbed, you’ll be thinking of all the things you did and regret them, or will you be thinking of all the things you didn’t do and regret not going for it? That’s what you have to ask yourself.
I hate that Vada can outsmart me in two seconds flat. She’s an old soul, and although I hate that she’s right—she’s right. Will I walk away thinking what if, or will I walk away heartbroken? Or both?
Once I get a grip, I kick off my heels and change into sweatpants and a T-shirt, then grab my laptop and place it on the bed. A knock sounds out on the door, and I rush to open it. Maverick steps in, looks me up and down, and gives me a nod.
“Hi, have we met before?”
“Stop saying that,” I tell him with a playful eye roll.
A laugh escapes his throat, and it sounds like music. That stupid smile fills my face again. Is it possible that Rachel is right? Do I look at him a certain way too?
Maverick walks inside with his book from last night and has a small laptop with him. I plop down on the bed, and he sits on the other side. Looking over at him, he shrugs at me, then kicks off his shoes.
“Well, just get comfortable,” I tease.
“You set the precedence here, not me.”
Shaking my head, I unlock my computer and log in to my email and task manager.
Rachel’s publisher sent an email reminding her of all the confirmed deadlines. I get up and grab my planners and notebooks and set them beside me. Glancing over, I catch Maverick watching me.
“I know it’s serious when you grab your author Bible. So I had an idea. How about we ditch all this nonsense and go out on the town.”
With wide eyes, I stare at him. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. All this bullshit will still be here tomorrow. Get dressed, and let’s go have some fun.”
I look at him like he’s lost his mind. “Not happening.”
“It’s Colorado. We should take full advantage and grab some special brownies. After we’re good and relaxed, we can hit up 16th Street,” he says with a smile. “Nothing like weed and pizza.”
“Are you sure you haven’t already had some special brownies? Now shhh. I have to concentrate.”
The room grows silent, but only for a short time. “So if I wanted to hire you as my assistant, what would I need to do?”
I glare at him. “I only take on one client at a time. And you can barely handle me now, so I doubt you’d want me running your life.”
“Perfect. So fire Rachel and come work for me. All these flagged emails need replies. It’s people who want to book me for a shoot.” He turns his laptop around, and his email inbox is a freaking nightmare. Pages of people need a response, and my mouth drops open in shock. I’m horrified by all the flags, and how there’s zero organization.
“Maverick. Holy shit. I have no words.”
He shrugs. “That’s a first. So next time you’re talking about something I don’t care to hear, I’ll just flash my inbox, and that’ll show you.”
When our eyes meet, he smiles, and I watch as his gaze moves down to my mouth. Quickly, I turn my head and go back to my laptop. I’m imagining things, and it doesn’t help that Rachel’s words are on repeat in my head about how Maverick looks at me.
“Are you hungry?” he asks. “You’re bound to be.”
“I could eat.” Today was busy as hell, and I’ve only had a nasty protein bar that I packed for Rachel that tasted like prunes. I get so caught up in work that I often forget to eat. It’s nice to have someone remind me while everything is still open.
Maverick begins typing away on his computer. “Done. Food is on the way.”
“What did you order?” I ask.
He laughs. “Something that’s got all the gluten, carbs, and sugar.”
“Thank God.” I smile.
The room grows silent again, and soon there’s a knock on the door. Maverick gets up and answers it, and as soon as I smell the food, my mouth begins to water. The door clicks closed, and he comes into view holding a large pizza box with plates stacked on top.
“Little did he know, two people are eating this whooooole thing.” He places it on the desk and opens the top. The aroma of the cheese and bread causes my mouth to water.
“Get ready to eat the best mountain pie ever. And you have to try honey on the crust.”
I grab a plate and stack a few pieces. “Honey?”
“It’s the best shit in the world. I dream about this pizza.” He takes a huge bite and lets out a moan.
I take a bite of pizza and do the same. “Oh my God,” I say while chewing.
“Right, told you. Beau Jo’s will change your life.” He finishes
a piece and slaps another on his plate. It amazes me how he can make pizza look sexy.
We eat until we’re ridiculously full, and I’m pretty sure this is what a carb coma feels like.
I try to get back to work, but it’s impossible. Once I start yawning, Maverick takes notice. My eyes are heavy, and I think it’s from all the activities from today. Signings exhaust me.
“You need rest,” he says, closing my laptop and moving it out of the way. I slide under the covers, and Maverick stands to pack his things. My eyes feel like bricks, and I’m so comfortable that I feel myself drifting off. I hear his laughter when my eyes finally close.
“Good night, my delicate little flower,” he says with a small laugh as the lamp next to the bed clicks off. “See you before the sun rises.”
“Night,” I whisper before I slip away to dreamland.
With a racing heart, I sit up in bed and glance around, making sure I’m alone. In my dream, Maverick was naked, walking toward me, and I was happily undressing for him. If I wouldn’t have woken up, I know exactly where it would’ve led—the same place it’s been going every night when he visits my dreams—his mouth on mine, my hands all over his body. Just thinking about it causes heat to rush through me, but I try to ignore it.
Unlocking my phone, I see I still have an hour before I’m supposed to be up, so I try to close my eyes and get more sleep, but it doesn’t happen, which only frustrates me. I force myself into the shower to try to push the fantasies of him away. Though he doesn’t make it easy for me when he wears clothes that hug him in all the right places. I let out a groan as I turn on the water and undress.