by Lauren Dane
It was a fun, flirty friendship. Period. End of sentence. She’d be a fool to entertain anything other than that. And Liv Davis may be staring spinsterhood in the face but she was not a fool.
Chapter Three
Liv sat eating her lunch at The Sands, looking out onto Main Street. It was a Wednesday, she’d had a good run that morning with Marc. Even though it had been a month and he didn’t need to run with her every week any more, he still did, said it kept him healthy too.
Wasn’t like she was going to complain. She liked hanging out with him. When she’d been going out with Matt, Marc was the saucy little brother. She knew him but only as someone to say hello to on the street and to talk to about shallow topics at Sunday dinner.
She never got to actually know the Marc Chase who cared deeply about physical fitness and nutrition. The Marc who was a lot deeper than she’d given him credit for.
“Are those potato chips on your plate?”
Speak of the devil. Liv looked up into those gorgeous green eyes and blushed. “Yes. Baked, not fried. I swear. And I asked for half an order. No mayo on the sandwich and you can see it’s nine grain bread.”
Laughing he slid into the booth across from her. “Good job. Trans fats are the worst. And anyway, if you use all your calories up on crap, you can’t have smothered pork chops for Sunday dinner.”
That was another thing. He cared about eating right and living healthy but not in a fanatical sense. He enjoyed life and wanted his clients to as well.
“I save my weekly splurge for Friday nights at The Pumphouse.”
He laughed. “I have to do extra time on the rowing machine for chili cheese fries.”
She only barely managed to bite back a comment about how good his stomach looked as he used the rowing machine. Flex and release, flex and release, the muscles in his abdomen were hard and toned and she squirmed a little in her seat as she thought about it.
“Can I join you? I haven’t had lunch yet.”
She nodded and he ordered. There was something about him that made her feel relaxed. Well, stuff about him that made her feel nervous and edgy too but that was the lack of sex. It had been six weeks since she’d had sex and she felt like she was going insane with the stress. And the marvelous hunk of man cake in front of her just ached to be licked from head to toe.
A giggle bubbled up before she could stop it. The lack of sex really was driving her mad.
“What’s so funny?” Marc’s smile was infectious and she laughed again.
“Nothing. Just a silly thought I had that I’m not going to share.”
“Ah. A sex thought. About me I bet. I know I have plenty about you. I can say that since we’re not working now,” he added.
“You’re incorrigible. I’m old enough to be your, um, babysitter.”
“Trust me, Olivia. Momma left us with a few babysitters here and there, not very often, you know, because they never came back after the first time. But none of them looked like you. We might have behaved if they did.”
“Oh you guys. Did you torture a bunch of teenaged girls? Setting fires and egging cars?”
“We never set fires.”
Liv began laughing anew at the thought of the four Chase boys terrorizing their babysitters.
“It was all Shane. I just followed along. I’m totally innocent.” He put his hands up, struggling against a laugh.
“Oh no more. I’m going to choke on something,” she gasped out through the laughter. “You innocent?”
Marc realized as they laughed together that something really essential had passed between them. Had changed. She wasn’t Matt’s ex-girlfriend anymore. She was his friend. Totally separate from her former relationship with his brother. Free from that. What they had was unique to the two of them and it all sort of clicked into place.
“Okay, so innocent probably isn’t the best word choice. But Shane is an instigator. He may be the sheriff now but it’s only because he was such a lawbreaker when we were kids. Oh, Daddy used to get so mad. And my dad rarely gets riled up. Momma, well she’d grab for whatever son she could grab a hank of and hold on to, screeching the whole time. Once she had your ear, you were done with, and you may as well just submit or she’d never let you go. But Daddy? He’d bide his time until we all thought the coast was clear and then he’d corner us in his study or the kitchen and man we’d get it.” He smiled at the memory.
“Your mother is something else. I love her to death but she scares the hell out of me.”
“I’d say she was all bark and no bite but that’d be such a lie. She’s fierce for such a tiny scrap of woman. Taught me a lot about courage. My father taught me about justice and honor but Momma taught me courage and tenacity.” Marc wondered what she’d think about him and Liv and realized the moment he thought it that his mother would be all for it. Liv had already passed inspection and been approved. It was Matt who fucked up.
“I love the way she terrorizes John. The mayor that is. This whole Founder’s Day event has been fun to plan but every time she enters the building he tries to jump out his office window. He tries to charm his way around her but she sees right through him and he just gives in with a heavy sigh.”
Marc didn’t like the first name thing. Wondered if she had a thing with the mayor and then discarded the idea. John Woodward was not the kind of man who could hold a woman like Olivia Davis for longer than three minutes. He certainly couldn’t match her in bed. John was too timid and gentlemanly. Marc knew what Liv needed between the sheets. Passion. Energy. Creativity and if he wasn’t wrong, a bit of a dominant hand.
“You going then? To the picnic and parade?” Marc asked, he hoped not too eagerly.
“Wouldn’t miss it. Should be a big shindig and your mother has worked really hard with the historical society. And I love a good party.” She crumpled her napkin and grabbed her bag. “I need to get back to work. It was nice to hang out with you today.” She put a hand on his shoulder to stay him. “Don’t get up. I’ll see you later, Marc. Have a nice afternoon.”
“I’ll see you Friday,” he called out, relieved his voice hadn’t cracked at the weight of awareness of her as a woman. Holy moley, he wanted her bad. Seeing her laugh like that, her head tipped back slightly so her neck was exposed, all creamy and supple made him want to lick all the way from shoulder to earlobe. Wondered if she would give a little shiver of delight. Wondered what she’d taste like.
Groaning, he put his forehead in his palm. This couldn’t be happening to him. He was not going down like his older brothers had. No way. But he would taste Olivia Davis. To get her out of his system, of course. Once they’d had each other a few dozen times the desperate need he felt would wear off. Yeah. That was it.
Torture. That’s what it was and she had to end it. Liv looked at Marc Chase as he sat on a blanket with Becky Sue Radin. The teeny little blonde stared at him like he was a cupcake. And Liv loved cupcakes too, but since Marc hired on as her personal trainer she hadn’t had one. That was clearly her problem. A lack of cupcakes. It was all Marc’s fault. Cupcake deprivation had led her into sexualizing everything.
Huffing out a breath in frustration, she turned her attention back to Bill Prentiss, who’d been telling her all about his prize winning steer. Fascinating. Okay, she was being unfair. Bill was a perfectly nice man. Owned a ranch outside town. Made a good living. Worked hard and was quite a handsome specimen. Marriage material even.
He held her hand gently, respectfully and paid attention to no other woman but her. These were good things and if she wanted forever, she’d have to stop this ridiculous attraction to men like Marc and Matt Chase, who didn’t think ten minutes ahead of their little misters.
No, Liv Davis was done with the sweet talking ladies’ men of the world. They might be fun as all get out between the sheets but there was more to life than between the sheets.
So she smiled at Bill and flattered him because he deserved it. It was all her issue that she had some kind of messed up gene that foun
d unworthy men attractive. She had to stamp it out. Retrain herself. Yes. That’s exactly what she needed to do. Retrain herself.
“Bill, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I just need to check in on the ladies around the corner to be sure they’ve got enough ice and everything they need.”
He stood when she did and she cocked her head, smiling. He really was a nice man and she’d be a fool not to go out with him again if he asked.
“I’ll be right here, Liv. Unless there’s something I can do to help?”
“That’s very kind of you but, no thank you. I just promised the mayor that I’d be on the lookout in case the historical society ladies needed anything. Back in a bit.”
Of course, as she’d figured, Polly Chase didn’t need a thing. She had the entire evening planned to perfection, including the pie booth. Polly thanked Liv, pressed a peach popover on her and Liv headed into the building to get a sweater out of her office as the evening had gotten a bit chilly.
“Hey there. Whatcha doing in here?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Marc spoke behind her as she left the building on the side away from the crowds. “Jeez, give a girl a heart attack!”
“Sorry. I ran to my truck to grab a blanket. It’s getting a bit cold. Should have known. It is mid-April.”
He made no move to leave though. Standing there, staring at her mouth in the moonlight.
“Do I have sugar on my lips?” She felt slightly guilty for eating the popover and made a promise to herself to go and grab Bill a piece of something sweet.
He stepped forward and she had no place to go, the wall was at her back. “I don’t know. Do you?” he murmured, his body just shy of touching hers.
“I…uh.” Before she could say anything else so spectacularly witty, he closed the last inch between them, his hand moving to cup her cheek.
“You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. I’ve always thought so. Soft. You smell good too.”
“Marc…”
His lips brushed hers, just the barest hint of pressure but within a breath, that soft touch exploded and need so dire it scared her, welled up and swallowed her whole.
It must have been the same for him because he angled his mouth and went in for a real kiss this time. A skillful combination of teeth, tongue and lips all working to devastate her defenses. Her fingers gripped his shoulders, digging into the muscles, registering the softness of the sweater he was wearing.
His taste bloomed through her, spicy, delicious. It made something deep within her ache for a moment, seize and then warm all over. A soft moan escaped her and he swallowed it eagerly.
His hands, large and capable, held her hips, the tips of his thumbs stroking over the naked skin just beneath the hem of her sweater, just two inches shy of the bottom slope of her breasts.
That’s what snapped her out of it, the longing, the yearning to reach down and move his hands up over her breasts and arch into his touch. She let go of his shoulders, sliding her palms down to push him back gently.
“Holy moley,” Marc breathed out.
She nodded.
“When can you leave? We can go get a late drink somewhere or you could come to my place.” Marc brushed a thumb over her bottom lip and she shivered.
“I’m here on a date, Marc. God, I shouldn’t have done that.” Especially because it awakened something deep inside her, a recognition that freaked her out. It was something she couldn’t afford to feel. He wasn’t capable of giving it back.
“Of course you should have. Olivia, this thing, that kiss has been brewing between the two of us for a long time now and you know it. We can go to dinner another night. I’m sorry for suggesting you dump your date. I know you’re too kind to do that.”
“I can’t have dinner with you, Marc. Not tonight, not tomorrow night.”
“Okay, well then come to my apartment. I’ll make you dinner after I’ve had you three or four times.” He grinned and she groaned, pushing him back so she could move away from the wall. She felt cornered in more ways than one. She vowed to eat a cupcake that very night. Two even. This addiction to dangerously handsome men without an ounce of desire to commit would be the death of her.
“There’ll be no having!”
“Oh now, Olivia, don’t be offended. I didn’t mean it to sound crass.”
She shoved a hand through her hair. “No, not that. I’m not offended. I’m flattered. Confused.” Panicked, scared, freaked, aroused and a dozen other things it would not pay to feel. “But it can’t happen, Marc. Not ever.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re joking. Olivia Davis, that was the single most hottest kiss I’ve ever shared with a woman and you were on fire in my arms. I felt your nipples through your sweater. You wanted me, you can’t deny that.”
Oy. “I’m not denying that. Yes, yes there’s chemistry but there are too many reasons to not give in.”
He put his hands on his hips. “Like what? You’re single, I’m single. We’re attracted to each other and you know we’re going to be hot in bed together.”
“Marc, you’re too young for me. I’m six years older than you are. And,” she held up her hand to silence him, “I’ve just recently decided that I’m done with casual relationships. I am not going out with another man who thinks of women as a box of chocolates and he has to sample every one. I want something real, something lasting and that’s not what you want. I’m not judging you, Marc, but I want a relationship. I want to end up married.”
He paled so much she could see it in the moonlight. She laughed tightly. She’d known it but it hurt to see his reaction anyway.
“See? Even the word freaks you out. You and I are friends. We really are and I like that. I like you. But this can’t be more than a friendship, spectacular kiss or not. Now I have a date who’ll be wondering where I am and you do too if I’m not mistaken. I’ll see you on Monday when I come to work out.”
She hurried off before she changed her mind.
Watching her walk away, Marc slammed his fist into his thigh in frustration. Friends? After that kiss? His lips tingled with her taste, his cock throbbed, pressing against the fly of his jeans.
“Too young my ass,” he mumbled, heading back to where Becky Sue waited for him. It wasn’t like Liv was old. She was gorgeous and totally in shape. He knew that for sure. He’d seen her body enough as he worked with her over the last month.
Images of her stretching and sweating assailed him until he pushed them firmly out of his mind or he’d go find her and fuck her against the trunk of the nearest tree. God, he wanted her bad and he knew she wanted him too. That was the kicker. This artificial barrier she’d created over their age difference was just dumb and she was using it to keep him away.
As he turned the corner he saw her with Bill, head tipped up, body leaning into his as they watched the sky. As if Marc had called her name, she turned toward him. Her gaze caught his for long moments until she let go and returned her attention to the fireworks.
Frustrated, he glanced back toward the blankets where Becky Sue waited with Cassie, Shane, Maggie and Kyle. He smiled when he caught Kyle placing his palms over Maggie’s growing baby bump. They were good together.
He froze a moment. Marriage? Liv said she wanted long term. Said she wanted to get married. Okay, so he wasn’t too young to have a nice fling with her but he was definitely not interested in marriage. Yikes. No, he’d go back to being her friend, sport a few furtive fantasies about bedding her and continue on with his happily unencumbered life. Marriage was for suckers and he was most certainly not a sucker. Yeah, sure.
Friends my ass, Marc thought as he watched her take another lap in the community pool one Saturday morning a month after that kiss. She was made for the water, swam like a freaking seal and, even in a non-descript one piece swimsuit, she looked hot.
He shouldn’t even be there. He didn’t need to be. Her Saturday workouts weren’t even in his schedule. But he found himself unable to resist being nea
r her when he could be.
“Hey there!” she called out as she pulled herself out of the water and grabbed a nearby towel. “Whatcha doing here?”
He stared at her a moment, watching the water beaded like diamonds on her thick lashes, her dark hair slicked back against her head.
“I played racquetball with Kyle earlier. We just finished and I saw you and thought I’d come say hello.” He looked at her upper body and nodded. “You’re really coming along, Liv. Your shoulders look fantastic.”
She blushed and he cursed his ridiculously friendly cock for bounding to attention.
“Thank you. Two months of working out will do that, I suppose. At first I thought it’d be hard to work it into my schedule, but really, it’s not that bad and I’m used to it now. Plus, I like the way I feel.”
He liked her. Damn it. This friends stuff wasn’t cutting it. He’d gone out with every woman he could but none of them could get his mind off Liv.
“What are you up to just now? I haven’t had any lunch. You hungry?” He sent her his best, just friends smile as he lied through his teeth.
“I’m actually meeting Cassie and Maggie for lunch in about forty-five minutes. Sorry. I’d invite you but we’re going to be talking about babies and then sex and stuff you aren’t privileged to hear.” She grinned and his gut tightened.
“Fine, fine. Keep me out of all the fun. See if I care.” He heaved a theatrical sigh. “Looks like I’ll try and catch up to Kyle and Shane as they’ll be free. I’ll see you Monday then. Have a good weekend.”
She waved as she headed toward the locker area and he watched the sway of that delectable ass before making up his mind and heading out to catch up to Kyle.
“Kyle!” Marc shouted as he jogged toward his brother.
Kyle tossed his bag into the back seat and turned. “What’s up?”