Dedication
To Teri, for putting the R and E in our ass.
Chapter One
It took the sound of Greg Laurie’s knuckles rapping against the thick wood for the third time before the front door swung open. To his utmost surprise Olivia Neal, the damsel he pictured himself rescuing, seemed far from being in distress. His girlfriend of one year wasn’t supposed to be having a good time. Olivia hated storms. Despised them, in fact, and she was usually out of commission, even when it was just a little lightning and thunder. Instead it looked as if he’d interrupted her during a party.
“Greg.” Her smile went from friendly to beaming the second her gaze landed on him, then dimmed dramatically in rapid succession. “Oh my gosh,” she said as she pulled the front door closer to her, blocking his view of the inside of the house. “What are you doing here?”
Taken aback, Greg frowned at her lackluster response to his arrival. That wasn’t the welcome he’d been expecting from Olivia. Not from his lover, who’d been known to take a running jump into his arms the second she caught sight of him. To see her erecting a wall, in the middle of a storm that was threatening to turn into a hurricane at any moment no less, was out of character to say the least. As usual, when he was at a loss about something, Greg fell back on his English upbringing, mixing his sarcasm with a dash of politeness.
“Nice to see you too. May I come in?” he asked pointedly when it didn’t appear as if she was moving from the doorway. “The wind is picking up and I’m not exactly dressed for parasailing.”
“Oh, of course. Forgive me.” Olivia let out a peal of nervous laughter as she released her death grip on the door and took an obviously reluctant step back so he could enter the house. “The storm has me all out of sorts.”
“Then let me see what I can do to ease your mind.” He strode over the threshold boldly. After pushing the door closed behind him, he made his way over to Olivia who’d backed herself up against the wall at his advance. Desperate for a taste of her, he edged closer until there was nothing between them but a faint hint of her floral perfume. “Let’s try this again. Hello, love.”
“Greg.” His name was a sigh on her full, feminine lips. “Would you like to come in?”
“Come.” Greg slipped his hand beneath the thick curls of her russet hair and cupped her nape in his slender hands. “Most assuredly.”
His crass comment caused her to smile. “How can someone so proper be so dirty?”
“Luck.”
Before Olivia could reply, Greg covered her mouth with his.
For a second Olivia tensed against him, but just as quickly as the resistance appeared it disappeared, leaving in its wake a wanton woman who began to respond not only with hunger to his kiss, but with desperation as well. Her sweet, heady taste rocked him to his core. It never failed to amaze Greg that after a year in her bed he had become addicted to her taste. To her touch. To her.
Arching toward him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. A move he couldn’t help but adore. The only thing better than being in Olivia was being pressed against her.
She was a curvaceous, sexy handful. In a different time, her full figure would have been worshipped by the masses, but in an era of less is more, she was simply worshipped by him. Olivia was not a ten, but a perfect twelve. And he adored every inch of her shapely body.
Just about the time Greg began to think of moving their hello to a more horizontal-friendly area, Olivia worked her hand down from his neck to his chest, and gently but firmly pushed him away, breaking the kiss.
Her sudden move surprised and disappointed him in equal measure. Things were just beginning to get interesting. “Olivia…” He moved to take her in his arms again but was brought up short by her hand, held out in front of her like a ward to keep him away.
“Whoa.” Laughing softly, she shook her head then moved her hand from in front of her and placed it over her chest. Her heart-shaped face was flushed, her eyes glazed. She looked thoroughly mesmerized and aroused. Just the way he liked her. “I have to say, I do love the way you say hello.”
“That wasn’t just a hello. It was an I’ve missed you as well.” Even though it had only been two days since he saw her last, it had felt like much longer. The more they were apart, the more he realized the casual relationship he’d insisted on when they first started seeing one another was no longer working for him. The distance he craved with every other woman he’d seen before Olivia was absent in the wake of her smile, her kiss, her touch. The truth of the matter had hit him just recently, but it had hit him hard, nevertheless. Now the only thing he had to do was convince the woman he’d talked into having an open relationship, to see only him. “Haven’t you missed me too?”
“Of course, but…”
The wary look in her big brown eyes didn’t bode well for the evening. Something was up. Something Greg was more than sure he wasn’t going to like. “But what?”
Olivia took his hand in hers, holding him to her as she beseeched him with her eyes. “Don’t be mad, okay?”
Warning bells went off in his head. “Why would I be mad?”
Olivia opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get out a single syllable, a masculine voice called from the other room. “Hey, Liv, where are the nails?”
For a stunned moment neither said anything. Olivia most likely because she didn’t know what to say, and Greg because there were not enough words in the English language to express his displeasure.
“I…”
“Yes, Liv.” Greg took his hand from hers as he struggled to remain calm. “Where do you keep the nails?”
“Greg.” Olivia glanced quickly toward the other room. “Be nice,” she pleaded.
“I’m always nice, especially to the help.”
“He isn’t the help,” she admitted, her head held high.
“No, he isn’t, is he.” And Greg had never thought he was. A handyman wouldn’t have caused Olivia to pale and stumble over her words in the manner she was. There was only one person he could think of who would cause her to react the way she was. “Have company, love?”
Olivia met his unflinching gaze with one of her own. “Yes. Jack is here.”
“Ah, Jack.” Greg smiled while his blood simmered on the inside. He’d never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jack Randall, but Greg knew of Olivia’s other lover all too well. “The other man.”
“Don’t call him that.”
“It’s exactly what he is.”
Olivia crossed her arms over her bountiful breasts and released a put-out sigh. “Seeing other people was your idea. You didn’t want to be a couple, you wanted to be lovers,” she reminded him unnecessarily. “Don’t get upset with me when I go along with it.”
“Trust me, I know exactly where to direct the anger over that mistake.” His legs were extremely sore from reaching back and trying to kick his own arse for his foolish decision.
“Mistake.” Olivia’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“That’s a conversation for another time.” When his competition wasn’t within hearing distance. “So if I’m not to call him the other man, how should I address him then?”
“Jack works just fine,” said the man in question as he strolled into the foyer. Greg turned so he was facing the other man and all he could do was stare. This was the moment. The big showdown between suitors was as lame and uncomfortable as Greg had always known it would be.
Two guys. One woman. It didn’t get more complicated than that. Thankfully though, Greg had a bit of an edge on Jacky boy. One, Olivia was his first, and two, there
wasn’t much about the other man Greg didn’t already know, thanks to one very fast, yet detailed private investigator, who’d given Greg not only a folder phonebook-thick with information on Jack but a few candid shots as well.
Begrudgingly, Greg had to admit the photos hadn’t done Jack justice. True, he was every bit the scruffy blue-collar mechanic the investigator made him out to be, but he was far more attractive in person than Greg would have preferred. What came across as thick and grimy on film translated to muscular and brooding, up close and personal. Add to that, thick hair that was a tad darker and longer than Greg’s own and voila, pin-up model for Garage Weekly.
All in all, Greg detested him on sight. No, that wasn’t true. Greg had disliked the man from the moment Olivia mentioned she was seeing him. Meeting him face-to-face only cemented the feeling.
The interloper walked boldly up to Greg and offered his hand as if they were meeting over the putting green instead of in the home of the woman they were both fucking. “Greg, isn’t it?”
As if the asshole didn’t know. Without bothering to take the other man’s hand, Greg looked back at Olivia. Her eyes were as wide as a deer’s caught in headlights. She looked guilty and clearly overwhelmed.
“Isn’t this cozy?”
Olivia let loose a choked laugh. “And getting cozier by the second.”
“I believe Jack asked you a question.” Greg glanced back at the man in question who was watching him with an amused look on his face. “Something about nails, wasn’t it? Doing a little renovation?”
“Just doing my job.”
“You use nails on cars these days?”
To Greg’s immense pleasure, Jack seemed a bit taken aback Greg knew what he did for a living. Sadly the other man didn’t let that distract him for long. “Um, no. I’m helping Liv board up the house to prep for the storm. She hates bad weather.”
Great, they’d come to the dick-measuring part of the evening already, and Greg hadn’t even taken his overcoat off yet. “I’m well aware of Olivia’s fear of storms. It’s the exact same reason I’m here.”
“Oh, that’s nice. You were able to fit her in.” Sarcasm laced Jack’s words.
Greg stiffened. “I always have time for Olivia.”
“Really?”
The doubt in the other man’s voice grated Greg’s nerves. “Yes.”
“Doesn’t really seem like it.”
Greg jerked in surprise. “What would you know about it?”
“More than you think.”
Cheeky little bastard. “I’ll have you kno—”
“Ding, ding.” Olivia held her hands up and mimed ringing a bell. “Back to your corners, boys.”
Jack’s sharp laughter brought the pissing contest to an end. “We weren’t fighting,” he lied smoothly. “Just getting to know one another a bit better.”
“Right.” And so far, what Greg was learning wasn’t sitting well with him. “Nothing to worry about, love.”
“Only thing I’m worried about is my house blowing away.”
“Not on my watch,” Greg replied with all sincerity. He knew how much her deceased parents’ home meant to her.
Olivia tilted her head to the side and smiled. “What are going to do, order the wind to stop?”
“If I thought it would work, I would.”
“Pardon the pun, but I’m still blown away you’re even here right now. I thought you had a faculty dinner tonight.”
“I did.” It had been tedious and boring, and he was actually glad to be rid of his date as well. Although she was a co-worker and part of his social circle, they’d exhausted any feasible conversation topics within ten minutes.
“Is it over already?”
“No, I left early because I thought you might need a bit of help.” Obviously a mistake on his part.
“You didn’t have to do that.” But her shy smile belied her words.
“Yes, as you can see, I have it well in hand.” Jack flashed Greg a knowing smirk. “So if you have to leave…”
There was no way in hell Greg was going anywhere. “I don’t. Besides, as the saying goes, you can never have too much help.”
“Hmm…and I thought it went something like too many cooks spoil the stew.” Jack’s tone and expression had taken a downward turn from his earlier swagger.
Good. Greg had been able to wipe that smug look off Jack’s face and he actually seemed a little pissed off. This bad night was getting better and better. Especially when Olivia touched him. “Thanks for coming by. Of course we can use your help.”
Greg wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her curvy frame against him. While locked in her warm embrace, his fingers caught one of her coppery curls and he tugged. “Anything I can do. I’m here for you.”
Olivia laid her head on his chest. “Thank you.”
Over her head Greg met Jack’s gaze. The other man’s expression darkened and a shadow of annoyance crossed his face. Jack did not look happy to see Olivia in Greg’s arms. In fact, he looked murderous.
Olivia, seemingly oblivious to the tension around her, pulled back and smiled up at Greg. “With you here the boards will go up twice as fast.”
“Still need nails though,” Jack reminded her.
Olivia moved away from Greg and turned her sunny smile onto Jack. “Give me one minute to find them.”
“I’ll help you,” Greg offered, before Jack could. Then to seal the deal he took her hand in his, giving her little way out and Jack little way in. But still, he had to pretend to be polite. “If you want me to that is?”
“Of…course.” Olivia looked down at their interlocked fingers for a second before glancing over at Jack. “We’ll be right back, I guess.”
“And I’ll be here.”
Greg had a feeling the other man’s words were more for Greg’s benefit than Olivia’s, but he held his tongue and Olivia’s hand as they walked toward the back of the house together. Greg glanced over his shoulder to see Jack tighten his grip around the hammer as he watched them retreat. The other man may have made Greg jealous, but the feeling was more than mutual.
As soon as she and Greg entered the kitchen, Olivia moved away from him and clear across the room to the sink. She gripped the cool tile in her hands and held on with all her might to steady her legs. And her nerves.
Having both Jack and Greg there was both her most kinky fantasy and her worst nightmare come to life. It touched her heart they knew her so well and cared enough to show up because of the storm. The fact they did so in the course of just twenty minutes of each other freaked her the hell out. Not to mention the dick-waving contest that had started the moment Jack entered the foyer. There had come a point where Olivia had begun to think the knuckles were going to drop and drag on the floor as they started their caveman routine.
The overload of testosterone had been overwhelming, a little amusing, yet strangely arousing all the same. The tension in the house was as turbulent as the storm raging outside and destined only to get worse unless she got everything under control, and fast.
“Is everything all right, Olivia?”
Now that was the question of the hour. Smiling at the insanity that was her love life, Olivia turned back around and faced her enigmatic lover. The first man she’d fallen in love with and the one who’d introduced chaos into her once well-oiled life. “Other than the storm, I’m fine.”
Greg took his overcoat off and carelessly tossed it on the center island. “So is it just the weather that has you out of sorts, or something else?”
“It’s the weather. For the most part,” she admitted after a pause. Not wanting to get into it too much, she ignored his pointed look and ran her gaze over the black suit he wore. It fit his lean frame like a glove and made the already dashing man look downright sexy. “You’re looking very…nice tonight.”
Talk about understatement of the year. Greg rocked the whole “naughty professor” like no one else could. The dark suit only added to his panty-wetting appeal.
“You’re welcome. Storm aside, is everything all right with you?”
“Of course.” His mouth said one thing, but his guarded, icy-blue gaze said another. Out of her two lovers, Greg was the one she had the hardest time reading but she loved him deeply just the same.
Olive couldn’t have picked two more different men if she tried. Not that she had tried. A femme fatale she was not. In all honesty she could count the number of men she’d previously dated in her lifetime on two hands, and the number she slept with on one, and that was if she included Greg and Jack.
In the past she had never even dated two men at once, let alone slept with two men at the same time. Well, not exactly at the same time. But Greg said the only relationship he was even remotely interested in would be one where there were no commitments other than honesty. They were free to date others, even to sleep with them, as long as they used protection. It wasn’t a proposal a girl of her sort would have normally even considered. But Olivia got honest with herself. She wasn’t getting any younger, there wasn’t a line a mile wide filled with men dying to get in her front door, so why not for once just say yes to something she really wanted. Greg.
And to her surprise it had worked out. She was happy to be with him when he had a moment or when she did. He did his work functions with women who didn’t turn green at the mere thought of thousand dollar a plate dinners and she had Jack, her dirty boy next door, who would watch a baseball game with her, tell her a bawdy joke just to make her laugh, and could and had spent hours with his head buried between her legs.
Even though he was as different from Greg as night and day, he too, when they first met six months ago, had stated effusively he wasn’t looking for anything serious. He too, had wanted an open relationship where he would be free to see other women if the opportunity came up, and once again she agreed. It had been working out so well with Greg, she didn’t see why it wouldn’t work the same way with Jack.
Both men were her lovers, her friends, but they weren’t solely hers and she wasn’t solely theirs. It seemed so simple, but with both of them in the house, it felt anything but.
Rock You Like a Hurricane: Stormy Weather, Book 1 Page 1