All Because of You (Morgan's Bay Book 1)

by Theresa Paolo

  Chapter 9

  Waving goodbye to Miss Karen, Shane held the door for Olivia, proving once again to be a gentleman. She flashed him a smile as she passed and let her eyes linger on him. When she’d asked him out for pie, she hadn’t had high expectations. She’d pretty much lost her faith in men, but Shane gave her hope again.

  She enjoyed getting to know him. He was a gentle soul who harbored pain deep in his heart. She could see it in his greenish-brown eyes when he spoke about his mother. She sensed there was more to the story, but she didn’t want to pry. At least not yet.

  Shane looked at his phone. “Almost time for your first day,” he said, glancing toward the pub. Connor had hired her on the spot. Barely even interviewed her. Then again, he had known her a good portion of her life. Unlike the other McConnells, Connor had gone to public school with the rest of the town folk.

  “Want to walk with me?” she asked.

  “We still have time,” Shane said. “Besides, you owe me a kiss.”

  Heat rushed to her core at the thought of Shane’s mouth on hers, their tongues sliding against each other. Anxious sparks skittered beneath her skin, and she bit back the smile trying to form, instead curving it into what she hoped was a sexy grin. “Is that so?”

  He angled his head toward her, and though every muscle in her body was fighting her, she put up her hand.

  “Kissing me out in the open on Main Street? Do you know what that means?”

  He stepped closer, heat coming off him in delicious waves that surrounded her in a fiery blanket of desire. “What does it mean?” His voice dipped to a sultry whisper that had her desperate to throw her inhibitions to the curb.

  “Next thing you know, the whole town is planning our relationship down to the wedding day and how many kids we’ll have. Probably twins. A boy and a girl.”

  “Kids?”

  Olivia snickered at the squeak in his voice. “Don’t worry. You won’t impregnate me by kissing me.”

  “But the town will think you’re carrying twins.”

  “You’re learning.” She tapped his chest, and an electric current jolted through her veins. Shane wrapped his hand around her wrist and yanked her into the alley between Pie in the Sky and The Book Nook. He backed her into the wall, strong male consuming her. His arms caged her in, and she arched toward him, desperate for his touch.

  In one fell swoop, he captured her lips, lava exploded in her chest and dispersed in heated waves. His mouth moved against hers with a carnal lust so passionate and demanding, she lost sight of everything else. All she could focus on was the hard press of Shane’s lips and the hard bulge in his pants meeting the apex of her thighs.

  A moan escaped her throat as his hands cupped her face and tilted her head. His tongue swiped lovingly at the crease between her lips, and she parted, welcoming the slick feel. It was a sensual dance of tongue and teeth, licking and nipping, giving and taking. He tasted of sweet coconut and confidence, kissing her with a potency she would never forget.

  The way he kissed her, ravenous and precise, it was as if he’d been doing it for years. She melted into his lips, letting him take control, and not because she felt he needed to dominate, but because she wanted him to.

  His body pressed into her, her back melding to the cool brick wall. It was fire and ice, heaven and hell, and she didn’t want it to end. She grabbed his t-shirt, holding him close, absorbing every sensation flooding her body.

  He kissed a trail from the corner of her mouth down her neck and back. The stubble on his face left tracks of passion. She didn’t care. Tonight, when she was in her bed, all she would be thinking about was this kiss.

  A giggle broke the cloud that surrounded them. “Don’t mind me. Continue just as you were.” Olivia didn’t need to turn to know whose voice that was—Jean Kelly, owner of The Book Nook.

  Olivia dropped her head to Shane’s shoulder, embarrassed heat prickling her neck and cheeks. Shane held her, and Olivia felt his arm raise in a wave.

  “Have a good day, you love birds,” Jean said, and Olivia covered her face with her hands.

  “Is she gone?” Olivia asked a few seconds later.

  “She’s gone.” Shane’s warm breath caressed her ear. “So… what do you want to name our twins?”

  ***

  The first day at the new job wasn’t as easy as Olivia expected She silently cursed herself for wearing heels. If she knew she’d be running back and forth to the kitchen in a never-ending rotation, she would have worn running sneakers. She’d had more of a workout running food and drinks than she ever had on her trips to the gym with her trainer.

  Taco Tuesday was McConnell’s Pub’s most busy day of the week, and Olivia understood why Connor barely even asked her any questions before offering her the job. She dropped off a round of margaritas, wiped down a table, picked up a check, and brought it over to Shane.

  He took the credit card from her, his hand lingering on hers for a moment before he pulled away. “How’s it going?” he asked as swiped the card through the machine.

  She looked down at her feet. “Sneakers from here on out.”

  “Do you own sneakers?”

  She grabbed her chest in mock offense. “Yes, I own sneakers.”

  He held his hands up, and amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. Her eyes hung on the movement for a moment, remembering the things that mouth was capable of. Liquid heat moved through her veins at the memory of her body up against the wall as he pressed into her.

  “I’ve only seen you in heels.” Shane’s eyebrow cocked and she shook the steamy memories from her mind, refocusing on the present.

  “What’s wrong with my heels?”

  “Nothing. I think they’re sexy as hell.” He tore the receipt from the credit card machine and handed it to her.

  Her lip quirked at the compliment, and she resisted the urge to lean across the bar and kiss him. She held the receipt up and spun on her heel, giving a little extra sway in her step. She looked over her shoulder, catching Shane’s eyes on her.

  Her phone buzzed for the millionth time, and she sighed. Daniel had been blowing her phone up since the second half of her shift. It amazed her. While they were together, he didn’t have enough time to check in with her, yet now that he wanted something, he had all the time in the world.

  She silenced her phone, shoved it into the pocket of her apron, and moved on to her next table. As she took the order, the sound of the door opening drew her attention. She closed her eyes and sighed when she spotted her parents strolling in, perplexed looks on their faces as they scanned the pub.

  Dad spotted her first. “There she is!” he announced loud enough that everyone in the crowded pub turned and looked at her.

  “Isn’t that your dad?” the snarky teenager whose order she was taking asked, even though he knew damn well it was.

  “Aren’t you too old to have Mommy and Daddy checking in on you?” The question followed with muffled laughter as his friends joined him.

  Olivia didn’t even bat an eye. Instead, she tapped her order pad with her pen. “Watch it Benny. Or I’ll tell your dad you were the one who stole Mrs. Harrison’s yard gnome.”

  Benny’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Try me.” His head fell, smirk wiped clean off his face. Checkmate.

  She turned from the table just as her parents approached. Mom’s dark brown eyes glistened beneath her thick bangs. “How’s your first day?” Mom asked, an unspoken apology in her gaze.

  “We thought we’d come and surprise you,” Dad said. “Have dinner.”

  “I told him we should stay away and leave you be, but he insisted.” Now Olivia understood the apologetic look. Dad was nosy, couldn’t help himself, and she was sure her parents argued about it until Dad grabbed the keys and insisted they go.

  “It’s all right. We’re a bit crowded tonight, though.”

  “It’s always crowded on Taco Tuesday,” Dad declared. “We can wait. If it means we’ll get the be
st waitress.” His tone rose with each word until his voice echoed above all the other chatter.

  Embarrassed heat crept up Olivia’s neck, and she caught Shane watching the Rick Green show. Shane’s gaze met hers, and he gave her wink that she felt in her core. Not wanting to be turned on in front of her parents, Olivia broke the stare.

  “Dad, you do realize we know every single person in here, right?” She appreciated his efforts, but it wasn’t like there was a single person in there who didn’t know he was her father.

  “I’m working the room for you. Getting you the big tips.”

  Oh, heaven help her. It was time to corral them to a table before Dad made another declaration.

  “I have a table over here.” Olivia held her hand up and waved her parents forward. Once they were seated, Olivia pointed to Mom first. “Cabernet for you. and Dad, a light beer.”

  “Best waitress ever!” Dad announced.

  Olivia covered her face with her hand. “Dad, please.”

  “I don’t know why you let him embarrass you,” Mom said. “Just do what I do and ignore him.”

  “Excuse me.” Dad motioned to himself in a dramatic display. “I’m sitting right here.”

  “I’m going to go get your drinks.” Olivia hurried to the bar. Shane was closing out a tab, and instead of waiting, she went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer and a wine glass. She scoured the area for the wine but couldn’t find it.

  Shane’s mouth came near her ear, an excited chill cascaded down her spine. “Can I help you with something?” A trail of goosebumps erupted as his breath caressed her skin.

  “Just looking for the wine,” she breathed.

  He reached around her, his arm grazing the underside of her breast. His long fingers wrapped around the neck of the wine bottle, and he brought it to her.

  She took it from his hold and spun around, not realizing how close he actually was. She pressed against the bar, but they were still practically chest to chest. “Thank you.” She tried not to fixate on the sexy curve of his mouth, but all she could think about was their kiss. Those lips brought her so much pleasure, she could only imagine the places they could bring her if they had more time and more privacy.

  As if she needed a reminder that they weren’t invisible, Maria approached the bar with a smile. “I heard you two were an item,” she said. “Obviously it’s new, so I’m not going to pry, but Shane, Olivia is a sweet girl, and any guy would be lucky to have her.”

  Shane’s brows furrowed in what looked like disappointment. An unexpected pang hit Olivia in the gut.

  “I guess you’re not pregnant,” he said, and the pang turned to a rumble of laughter.

  “Pregnant?” Confusion filled Maria’s brown eyes.

  “It’s a joke,” Olivia clarified before the whole town thought she was knocked up by Daniel based on the timeline. Olivia practically laughed at that absurd thought. It would never happen. She took her birth control like clockwork. Daniel insisted a child would derail his career.

  Olivia filled the wine glass and held it up. “I need to drop these off to my parents.”

  “Oh, your parents are here? I didn’t see them.” Maria turned from the bar, scanning the dining space.

  “You must’ve just gotten here, because you definitely would have heard my dad.” Olivia pointed to the table in the corner where her parents were in deep conversation, eyes focused on each other and talking like the chaos around them didn’t exist.

  For all her dad’s quirks, Mom loved him still. While Olivia got embarrassed by his antics, Mom embraced them. They were her favorite love story, and she only hoped that one day she’d find that sort of happiness that only came with years of love, devotion, and acceptance.

  “I won’t bother them now, but I’ll stop by later to talk to your mom about her appointment. I’ve been trying to convince her to add a little color to her hair. I think if she goes a little lighter around her face, it’ll brighten her complexion.”

  “It would be pretty for the summer, too.”

  “Exactly. I’ll keep trying.”

  Maria headed back to her husband, and Olivia brought the drinks to her parents, placing them on the table. “Have you guys decided what you’d like to eat?”

  “It’s Taco Tuesday,” Dad said.

  “Let me guess… three tacos. One chicken and two steak. And Mom you’ll have two tacos one chicken one pork.”

  Dad clapped, and Olivia inhaled deeply. “You’re a natural,” he said.

  “I’ve been going to dinner with you my whole life, and you always order the same thing.”

  “Take the compliment, Livvy,” Dad said.

  “Compliment taken. I’ll go put these in, and they should be out in ten.”

  “We’re in no rush,” Dad said. “We can even stick around and give you a ride home.”

  Ending the night squished into a golf cart with both her parents was the last thing she wanted. She’d been waiting all day to have Shane alone again, so they could have a repeat of their earlier kiss. Her parents would put a definite monkey wrench in that plan if they decided to stick around.

  “I’ll grab a ride from someone.”

  “What time will you be home?” Dad asked.

  It depended on how long she’d be attached to Shane’s lips, assuming he’d want a second round. “I’m not sure.”

  “Closing time is ten, so once you square everything away, you shouldn’t be home later than eleven.”

  “I might want to stick around with some of the crew and have a drink.”

  “So, midnight then?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I don’t want to leave the door unlocked if I go to bed.”

  “Then don’t. I have a key.”

  “John Andre will get upset and think someone is breaking in if the lights are out.”

  Olivia let out a loud sigh. “Dad, I will be home when I get there. I will be quiet, so I don’t wake you, Mom, or John Andre.”

  “Rick.” Mom rested her hand on Dad’s and leveled him with a look. She didn’t say anything, but the look was enough to derail Dad from the conversation.

  “Just make sure to lock the door and shut the outside light off.”

  “That I can do,” Olivia said and cut a quick glance at her mom with a grateful expression on her face.

  Olivia loved her father more than anything, but the man could drive her batty. She was twenty-five years old, but he still felt the need to treat her like she was a kid.

  “I’m going to go put your order in.” She hurried away from the table, checked on her other customers, and headed to the bar for a quick chat with Shane while she waited on table five’s drink order.

  “You look stressed,” Shane said.

  “My parents can drive me a little crazy.”

  “Parents are good at that. But take it from someone who knows, one day you’ll miss it.”

  Pain flashed in his green-brown eyes, and her heart broke for him. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose a parent, let alone two. At times her parents made her question her own sanity, but she’d be lost without them.

  “I know I would,” she said. “But when you’re in the midst of it, it’s hard to let yourself remember that.”

  He placed the drinks for table five on her tray. “Trust me, I know. My mom was a royal pain in my ass.” He laughed, and it was beautifully pure. “She was always on my case about something. Now I know it was out of love, but damn if it wasn’t annoying as hell.”

  Olivia nodded. “What’s love without a side of annoyance?”

  “That’s greeting card material right there.”

  “At least I know if waitressing doesn’t work out, I’ll have something to fall back on.” She flashed him a flirtatious smile, grabbed her tray, and headed to table five. She dropped off the drinks, delivered her parents’ food, and took a few new orders.

  The night was flying by, and her feet were killing her. She couldn’t wait to get home and collapse
in bed. She still had a few hours left. She brought her parents their receipt, and Dad didn’t even look at the bill, handing his credit card right over.

  She went to grab it when he pulled it just out of reach. “Maria tells us you have a new boyfriend.”

  This town really didn’t waste any time. At least they didn’t have her pregnant and alone. “I don’t have a new boyfriend. Daniel and I just broke up. I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”

  “If you give the milk away for free, no one is going to want to buy the cow,” Mom said, and Olivia all but dropped to the floor and hid under the table.

  “Wow, Mom. Okay.”

  “All I’m saying is there’s nothing wrong with making a guy work for your attention. It worked for me.” Mom’s gaze swept to Dad’s, and she smiled lovingly at her husband of thirty years.

  Just as Olivia was about to run from this conversation, Shane appeared beside her. She looked at him with wide, questioning eyes.

  “Did you need me to run that?” he asked, nodding toward the credit card in Dad’s hand. “Sure.” She plucked the card from Dad and handed it to Shane.

  “Hi,” Shane said to her parents. “Olivia has told me so much about you.”

  “She hasn’t told us anything about you,” Mom said while Dad stared at Shane, his face paler than usual.

  Olivia snapped out of her daze. “Mom, Dad, this is Shane McConnell.”

  “Shane McConnell Sanchez actually.” Olivia glanced at him, and he shrugged. “My mom’s last name.”

  “I’m sorry,” Dad said. “Did you say your name was Shane McConnell?”

  “I did, sir.”