by Donna Hill
“What about you? What do you do in your spare time?” she asked, shifting the focus off her to get her bearings.
Connor leaned back and looked at her from beneath those incredibly thick lashes. “Not as much spare time as I would like,” he confessed. “But one of my big passions is travel. I have that part covered with the jobs that I get, but what I really enjoy—” he leaned forward, rested his arms on the table “—is painting.”
Olivia’s head jerked back in surprise. “Painting? Really?”
He nodded. “Yep. I have a small studio in all of the homes that I rent while I’m on a job.”
“I’d love to see your work sometime.”
“My door is open.”
“Why did you ask me out?” she asked, shifting gears again as Desiree’s comment about Connor not dating wiggled in the back of her head, vying for attention.
Connor rocked his hard jaw from side to side. “It’s not something that I do… for a variety of reasons. Mostly because I’m not interested in ‘the getting to know you’ conversation that happens over dinner and dates.” He paused. “But you I want to know. And if you ask me why, I honestly couldn’t tell you.”
What did you say to something like that? “Honest.”
“I try.”
She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. “I guess I should be honest, too.”
“All ears.”
“I did a bit of research on you, too.” She lifted her shoulder. “After all, a girl can’t be too careful about who she goes to dinner with.”
His eyes darkened. “What did you find out?”
“That you’re a member of the Lawson clan from Louisiana. Your father is Paul Lawson. You have a sister, Sydni, and a younger brother, Devon. Your uncle Branford is a senator. You are very well respected in your field and you’ve done some of the most important restoration work of African-American artifacts and sites in the country. And you paint.” She grinned.
“I would say that I’m impressed with you, but that would be redundant.”
Olivia squinted in mild confusion.
“Everything about you impresses me.” His voice lowered. “Everything.”
Olivia’s cheeks heated. She lowered her gaze to her drink. “I don’t know what to say.”
“No need. Just an honest observation. I will say that I hope this will be the first of more evenings.” He lifted his drink.
“You’re certainly direct.”
“I don’t know any other way. I figure if I put my cards on the table it’s the easiest way to see where others are coming from.”
“Makes sense.” She sipped her drink, then set it down on the table.
“And if I’m going to be totally honest… I’d tell you that I intend to make love to you.”
The saying that your heart stops was true. For a hot second, Olivia couldn’t breathe. As much as she may have had the exact same thing on her mind, she never expected him to say the words out loud, and so soon.
The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. He leveled his dark eyes on her.
Olivia nervously licked her lips. Should she be offended or turned on?
The waitress returned with their appetizer. “I’ll be back shortly to take your dinner order. Enjoy.”
The timing of the waitress couldn’t have been better. Olivia’s thoughts were all over the place. Focusing on the food was the perfect distraction, until Connor made even that a sensual experience. He speared the meat from the shell of a mussel, dipped it in the sauce and slowly brought it toward Olivia’s mouth.
Her lips slightly parted. Connor didn’t pull his eyes away from her, almost as if the intensity of his gaze was speaking to her, letting her know to open her mouth, let the meat slide across her tongue, let the flavor burst in her mouth… let the experience become one with her.
Slowly she chewed, mesmerized by the steamy look in his eyes and the half smile on that luscious mouth.
“Like?”
She swallowed. “Yes,” she managed to reply.
“Good.” He turned his attention away and the heat down as if he’d only asked her for directions. He lifted one of the appetizers to his mouth. “Know what you want for dinner?”
Olivia blinked rapidly. You, she wanted to say, but of course she didn’t. “I’m thinking the sea bass. Have you had it before?”
“No. But it sounds good.”
Olivia drew in a breath to steady herself. “What kind of things do you paint?”
“Nudes.”
She nearly choked. “You’re kidding.”
He broke out laughing. “Yeah, I am. You should see the look on your face.”
Her cheeks heated. She slowly shook her head and grinned. “You are hell-bent on shocking me tonight. Is that the plan?”
“Not exactly.”
“What exactly is the plan, then?”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice, which drew her near. “The plan, beautiful lady, is to have a fabulous dinner, listen to some good music, have an after-dinner drink, take a slow drive home and see if you’re up to what I plan to offer. And if you are, we’ll be having breakfast together in the morning.”
She was certain he could see the banging of her heart in her chest. “You’re not only honest but seemingly very sure of yourself.”
“Would you be interested in a man who didn’t say what was on his mind — a man who didn’t know what he wanted?”
“No. But I also wouldn’t be interested in a man who assumes that he knows me or knows what I want.”
“What do you want, Olivia? Honestly.”
What she wanted Connor Lawson could not give her — answers to the questions that echoed within the hole in her life. No one could. That much she was sure of. She’d tried. “I want to have a nice evening. Get up in the morning and do what I came here to do.”
He slightly pursed his lips. “Fair enough. One thing my daddy and my uncles always taught us was in order to please a woman you do what she needs and wants.” He lifted his glass, which needed a refill. “To dinner and work in the morning.”
True to his word, Connor stayed clear of innuendo and verbal seduction. Instead, he told laugh-out-loud funny stories about his various jobs, and tales of his large and outspoken family. By the time they’d finished their main course and the band was in full swing, Olivia was slowly developing a different and fuller picture of Connor Lawson.
One thing that struck her was that he clearly loved his siblings and had good relationships with his extended family. She envied him that as she listened to the tales of the Lawson cousins’ antics all over Louisiana, from his lawyer-turned-champion-for-the-underserved cousin Justin — who finally settled down — to the elusive womanizing Rafe, who was hell-bent on living life by his rules, even if it drove his father, Branford, up the wall and back. Justin and Rafe’s irrepressible twin sisters were Desiree and Dominique — with Desiree being a secret race-car driver and Dom… well, Dom was Dom. Their eldest sister, LeeAnn, had stayed in the family business and married her father’s protégé, while the other movie-making cousin, Craig, was on the fast track for his first major film award. Connor’s own powerhouse younger sister, Sydni, had gone all the way to Brazil to find a husband. And his brother, Devon, was determined to be a music mogul, which drove their father crazy. Connor told stories of his cousins and siblings with good humor and a lightness in his voice that was totally endearing.
All her life Olivia had wondered what it was like to have a loving family, people there to support you and your dreams, share family trips and holidays. All those things were foreign to her. She had no frame of reference for the things he said. It was like reading about a faraway country.
“Sounds like an incredible family,” she said, pushing away her very empty plate.
“We’re
pretty interesting. I don’t get to see them as much as I once did. But with so much social media we find ways to stay in touch.”
“The band is better than you said they were,” she said, wanting to quickly steer the conversation away from her own lack of family life.
Connor bobbed his head in agreement. “Yeah, I have to tell my cuz Rafe about this group.” He returned his full attention to Olivia. “So what kind of schedule were you thinking about?”
“I was thinking at least three days per week. Say from ten in the morning until three or four.”
“Not a problem. I’m usually on-site, but if not you can always hook up with Jake.”
“That works. “
Connor signaled for the waitress. “You want a refill or dessert?”
The evening was coming to an end. Olivia had set her terms and apparently he was going to honor them. Now she was having second thoughts.
“No. Nothing else for me. Thanks.”
The waitress approached and Connor asked for the bill.
“I had a really nice time. Thank you.”
Connor smiled but didn’t respond. He handed the waitress his credit card. Olivia fiddled with her purse.
“We’ll be on the job tomorrow if you want to come by.”
Olivia glanced across the table and the smoldering look in his eyes ignited a fire in her belly. Yet his tone was noncommittal, casual and in stark contrast to the vibe he was giving off. Or maybe it was no more than her own wants and needs making her see things that weren’t really there.
“I’ll come by in the morning.”
The waitress returned with Connor’s credit card. “I hope you had a pleasant evening and you’ll come back again.”
“Thanks,” Connor said. He stood and came around to Olivia’s seat to help her to her feet.
He was so close. She felt the heat of him, caught the heady whiff of the bourbon. He draped her shawl around her shoulders.
“Ready,” he breathed, close to her ear.
A shiver slinked along her spine. “Yes,” she murmured.
Connor placed his hand at the dip of her back and led her out. Warmth spread through her. Her nipples hardened and she drew in air from between parted lips. It took all her concentration to focus on walking and not the feel of his hand on her body.
It had cooled considerably when they stepped outside. Olivia pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as they returned to the car.
“Cold?” She nodded. Connor took off his jacket and placed it around her.
Connor opened her door and helped her into her seat, then rounded the front to get in. Olivia brought the lapel of his jacket up to her nose and inhaled deeply just before Connor got behind the wheel. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment.
“Seat belt.”
“Oh, right.” She fastened her seat belt and tried to clear her head.
Connor turned on the music and pulled off. Much too soon they were pulling into her short driveway. He cut the engine, got out without a word and came around to open her door. Olivia’s pulse zinged in her veins. Connor walked with her to her front door.
Olivia turned to face him. “Thank you for a great night. I really enjoyed everything.”
His eyes moved slowly over her face. He placed the tip of his finger beneath her chin and lifted it until she was looking into his eyes.
“We can do it again… whenever you want.”
Olivia swallowed. Her lips parted and Connor moved closer and kissed her so lightly that it felt like a breeze, except for the heat that followed the contact. He pressed his mouth more firmly against hers and the tip of his tongue brushed across her bottom lip. Olivia sighed against his mouth and his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her firmly against him. She felt his arousal press lightly against her and her head spun. She wanted to have breakfast with him in the morning.
The simple good-night kiss slowly grew in intensity. She gripped his shoulders. He explored her mouth, nibbled her lip, teased her with his tongue and then, when she was on the brink of pulling him inside her house, he stepped back, stroked her cheek with his finger, whispered good-night, then turned and walked away.
Her knees wobbled. Her heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to stomp her foot in fury. What the hell? How dare he? Her breath came in short staccato puffs. A heartbeat away from being humiliated, she spun around, fumbled with her keys and stomped inside, slamming the door behind her.
Olivia pressed her back against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. “Damn.”
Chapter 5
Connor stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He picked up his shot of bourbon from the double sink and padded into his bedroom. It was nearly 3:00 a.m. and he was wide-awake. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. What he should to be doing was lying in bed with Olivia Gray beneath him. He tossed back the remnants of his drink and set it down on the nightstand.
He couldn’t wrap his mind around what it was about that woman that had his head so twisted. There was nothing spectacular about her. She was definitely easy on the eyes, smart, good conversationalist, professional. Naw, it was none of those things. Women like that were regular parts of his life. It was something else, something… that he couldn’t put words to. She got under his skin. She turned him on like someone turning on the all the jets on a stove.
Connor shook his head and dropped down on the side of his bed, draped his arms between his thighs. He rubbed his hand across his face as if that would magically wipe away the image of Olivia from his sight.
He could still taste the sweetness of her mouth, tinged with the flavors of dinner and her apple martinis. Thoughts of the feel of her flush against him made him hard with need. His jaw clenched and he jumped up and massaged the rise of his erection.
It was going to be a long night. He tugged the towel from around his waist, tossed the covers back on the bed and got in. He stared up at the ceiling, then at the tepee in the sheets, before he turned out the bedside light. Yeah, it was going to be a long night. The only saving grace was that he’d see her in the morning.
* * *
Olivia wasn’t sure if she’d slept a good three hours. Throughout the night she awoke time and again, stirred by the erotic dreams of her and Connor. She’d turn on her side and the dreams would start again. She flipped on her back, her stomach, her other side. One encounter after the other followed her like a hell-bent stalker. She couldn’t get away, no matter how many detours she took. Finally, when the sun rose she gave up.
She dragged herself to the kitchen and turned on the coffeemaker. Leaning against the counter, listening to the pot drip while the unmistakable aroma wafted in the air, she thought about her evening with Connor and the night without him. Would it have been so awful to have sex on the first date? They both wanted it. Besides, she knew that whatever this thing was between the two of them, it could never be more than temporary. When her job was done, she’d go back to her life and he’d be off to his next adventure. Anyway, every aspect of her life was only temporary. She’d grown to accept that, live with it. It was just the way it was.
She poured her mug of coffee, added two teaspoons of brown sugar and a splash of half-and-half. The first swallow hit the spot and reignited her cylinders. She sighed in satisfaction, then took her coffee into the bathroom and turned on the shower full blast. After her shower she’d go for a run, get her mind right, work off the sexual tension that still pulsed in her veins, then she’d head out to the site. And see Connor.
Olivia wondered what his night had been like. Did he think of her, dream of her? Probably not. Connor came from a lineage of men that could have what and who they wanted. There was no reason for her to spend time even contemplating the notion that he wanted anything more than a night of hot sex. A shiver of desire scooted up the backs of her legs and settled in the
pit of her stomach. She turned her face up to the pulsing spray and let the steamy water flow over her. But nothing could wash away the need for Connor Lawson to fill the hot, wet space between her thighs.
* * *
Olivia pulled up to the work site and cut the engine of her car. She took a minute to compose herself, prepare to see Connor. The run had burned off some of the tension but now the anxiousness had returned. How would he treat her? Better question, how would she respond when she saw him? To compound her anxiety, Victor had left her a message insisting that she make certain that Connor used all the proper materials — oak, cedar, mahogany — to rehab the original structures. He wanted her to check everything. She heaved a sigh.
Clearly she couldn’t sit there forever. She gathered her things, got out and trudged down the incline to the homestead. The crew was busy working and didn’t notice her. She looked around for Jake and spotted him getting into one of the trucks. She walked in his direction.
“Morning.”
He turned, cupped his hands over his eyes to block out the sun. A half smile lifted his lips. “Good morning.”
“I was going to get started today. Did Connor — Mr. Lawson — tell you?”
“No. He hasn’t come in yet. But you do what you need to. Can I help you with anything in particular?”
“Um, I’d like to start on the outskirts of the homestead and work my way back to the buildings.” She cleared her throat. “I will be checking on the materials being used to ensure that they meet our criteria for restoration.”
Jake’s brow knitted. “We always follow the specs,” he said, his warm tone turning cool. “You need me to go with you?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’m used to working alone.” She offered a tight-lipped smile.
He extended his arm. “Take that trail. It leads to the other side.”
“Thanks.” She started toward the trail.
“I’ll let Connor know you’re here when he shows up.”
She waved her hand in acknowledgment.
* * *
Olivia began by taking photographs and then collected soil, rock and plant samples. She needed to put together as much empirical data as possible. Often something as minute as a tiny plant could provide clues to the past and the people. She worked diligently for more than an hour, becoming totally absorbed in what she was doing. And then she felt him. Behind her. She turned and gazed upward. All the air stilled in the center of her chest.