“Why?” Harper asked.
“So we can talk work things out.”
“What is there to talk about? He cheated on you. End of story.” Harper had always been fiercely protective of her friends, so her perturbed tone didn’t bother Olivia.
“I’m not going to get back together with him, but being in the city would be good for me. I can’t stay here forever.”
“Why not?” Isla asked. “I am.”
Olivia closed her eyes for a second. The last thing she wanted was to offend either of her best friends. “I can’t waitress the rest of my life and I hate commuting. There’s nothing here for me.”
For some reason, Olivia glanced over her shoulder to Shane. He caught her looking and winked, sending a fiery heat spiraling to her core.
Isla turned in her seat toward the bar then spun back with a smile. “Nothing here for you, huh?”
Harper followed Isla’s gaze and turned back to Olivia, a small smirk breaking at the edge of her mouth. Before Harper could say anything, Connor dropped off their food.
“Can I get you ladies anything else?” he asked.
Isla picked up a fry. “Nope, we’re good.”
“So what’s going on with you and Shane?” Harper asked when Connor was out of ear shot.
“There’s not much to talk about.” Her mind flashed to their day on the beach yesterday. The feel of his bare chest against her as he carried her out to the beach, the hard cut of his abs and the way he laughed so easily as they chased each other toward the water, and how she felt when his arms wrapped around her and his lips crashed to hers…
Isla pointed at her heated face. “You’re so full of it. You’re getting hot and heavy just thinking about him.”
“Did you sleep with him already?” Harper exclaimed.
“Shh.” Olivia narrowed her gaze on her loud friends. “And no, I didn’t sleep with him.” The thought of Shane naked in front of her created an inferno beneath her skin. She took a sip of her water and savored the cool liquid as it flowed down her throat. “Though, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
“I hate you,” Harper said. “Daniel might be an ass, and I don’t trust that he’s not playing an angle, but here you are with two guys vying for your attention.”
“Still no luck in the online dating pool?” Olivia asked, knowing Harper’s contempt was just frustration with her never-ending search for Mr. Right.
“I think I have swiped left on every guy in Suffolk County, and pretty soon I’ll make my way through Nassau. I start tomorrow.”
“You’re going to drive all the way to Nassau? I don’t care how good the sex was; I wouldn’t drive that far,” Isla said.
Harper rolled her eyes. “This coming from the girl who wouldn’t even walk next door to get some.”
Isla put her hand on the table, cut up by thorns from working at her family’s florist shop. “Mr. O’Brien is adorable and all, but he’s also forty-five years my senior, so no I wouldn’t.”
Harper tossed a fry at Isla’s face. “You know what I meant.”
Isla picked up the fry and ate it, a smug look settling on her pink glossed lips. “Thanks.”
Shane sauntered toward the table with a pitcher of water in hand.
“Then there’s Olivia who doesn’t even have to travel. The sex comes to her.”
Olivia kicked Harper under the table, and Harper let out a loud “Ow” as Shane approached.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Fine.” Olivia offered a ridiculously fake smile. He eyed her curiously, and she should have known he wouldn’t be able to put one over on him. “Harper was just telling us about her date tomorrow. Isn’t that right, Harp?”
Harper narrowed her eyes at Olivia, but Olivia shrugged it off.
“Anyone need a refill?” Shane asked, having no idea what he just walked into.
“My shift is almost starting.” Olivia stood from the seat and gathered the dishes. There was no point in sending in the bus boy when she could handle it.
Shane tossed a rag over his shoulder and placed the pitcher on the table before taking the tray from her hands. “I got it.”
“Right to her,” Harper said on a sigh.
Confusion tugged at Shane’s brow, but he didn’t question it.
“You have to excuse Harper. She’s known to have random outbursts,” Olivia joked, and she knew if she was still sitting Harper would have given her a swift kick to the shin.
“Everyone has their thing,” he said. “Well ladies, it’s been a pleasure. Maybe next time I can join you.”
“That’d be great,” Harper said. “We can drill you about your intentions with our friend.
Olivia, wishing she was at the table to give Harper another kick, turned to Shane instead. But he didn’t skip a beat. An amused smirk spread across his face. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He tipped his head to them. “You ladies have a wonderful rest of your day.”
His hand rested on her waist as he went to move around her. He leaned down, his warm breath drifted over her neck, and the intoxicating smell of sex and man surrounded her.
“Excuse me,” he said.
Trying to spark the transmitters that went from her brain to the rest of her body, she stood frozen for a moment, taking in the closeness and absorbing the heat that poured off of him. Finally, she remembered how to move and she stepped aside; his hand lingered on her waist for a second more.
His gaze slammed into her. The smile on his lips was so devastatingly handsome that she had to swallow down the urge to drag him out of sight so she could lick the upward curve of his mouth.
Harper cleared her throat, and Olivia jumped back from the intensity of Shane’s gaze, knocking her ass right into the table. The legs screeched, the table jerked, and glasses swayed. Harper and Isla both reached for the wobbly glasses, preventing a disaster.
Heat clawed up Olivia’s neck, and Shane just smiled before walking away.
Olivia turned to her friends. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Harper said. “I’d be a walking wet noodle if a guy looked at me like that.”
Olivia fell into her chair.
“What’s the matter?” Isla asked.
“I shouldn’t be falling for another guy when I still have an unfinished mess with Daniel.”
Harper shook her head. “You wasted three years of your life on that asshole. I think you owe it to yourself to see it through with Shane.”
“I have to agree with, Harp on this one,” Isla said.
“That’s a first,” Harper joked.
“But what if Shane is my rebound?” Olivia asked, though the thought actually hurt her heart. She really liked Shane, and she didn’t want him to be that guy, and not just for herself, but for him, too. She didn’t want to string him along.
Harper blinked up at her. “What if he’s not?”
Chapter 15
Early afternoon quickly slid into evening as Olivia hustled from one table to the next, taking orders and dropping off drinks and food. One of the waitresses called off, leaving Olivia with a full house to manage alone. She didn’t mind. She loved constantly being on the go, chatting with people she’s known her whole life, and making money while doing it.
The heated exchange between Shane had lingered with her all day. Every time she glanced in his direction, her temperature went up a few degrees, and when he was near, her body was an all-out inferno.
The door opened, and Olivia turned to greet the customer. Ice settled in her veins, jagged shards expanding and compressing her lungs.
Daniel strolled in, eyes scanning like a predator. She didn’t want to be found, not yet. She hadn’t made a decision on his proposition yet. He’d want an answer. She could run, but if she ran away from him now, he’d just keep coming back. There was a reason he was as rich and successful as he was.
She took a deep breath, forced her mouth into an emotionless line, and approached him.
“Daniel, what are you doing
here?”
He looked her over from head to toe, his eyes lingering on her sneakers then up to her apron. His nose wrinkled like he smelled something bad. “I was in town and thought I’d stop by and see if you thought about what I had said.”
She should have known his impatience would bring him to her eventually. It’s not like she was in another state; she was only a car ride away. Though, even if she was in another state, she doubted that would deter him. He’d hire a helicopter like he did when they had dinner with a client in DC.
“Not yet. Honestly, I’ve been really busy with work, my parents, my fish. I got a fish.”
“You don’t even like fish.”
“That’s not true.”
He met her eyes with a charming smirk. “When we went to that sea life fundraiser at the aquarium you bitched the entire time about the smell.”
“Because it stunk in there, but my fish doesn’t smell.”
“Why don’t you bring your fish with you to the Midtown apartment? I’ll even upgrade its tank and get it something fitting to match its new zip code.”
Olivia thought about Shane’s words from the other day. “I’m not going to let you buy me back. After everything, I don’t think you could afford me.”
“Sweetheart…” He moved toward her, lifting her chin with his finger. “You know I’ll give you whatever you want, but I’m not trying to buy you back. I just want to talk. Please.”
She inhaled deeply. “Okay.” Olivia showed him to a table and slid into the seat across from him. She tried to keep her gaze away from the bar, but her eyes betrayed her and wandered to the one person she didn’t want to see right now.
Shane’s eyes caught hers, and she could see the curiosity in the brown-green depths. Daniel’s touch jolted her attention away from Shane and back on him. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I miss you. The apartment has been really quiet without you there.”
“That was your doing. You brought another woman into our home.”
“I made a mistake. I was out celebrating, had one too many drinks, and I fucked up. My biggest regret is that you were home to see it. I never wanted to hurt you. You got to believe that.”
Her heart tugged in two different directions. Daniel was familiar, and she’d given him three years of her life. But then there was Shane, and just the thought of him lit her world on fire. But what if Harper was wrong? What if Shane was her rebound, and she’d thrown away everything Daniel could give her for a chance at love, only to be left with absolutely nothing when Shane decided the fun was over?
“What about all those awful things you said?”
“I was angry at myself, and I tried to justify my actions. I was an idiot.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“And I’m sorry. We were great together,” Daniel said, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “And we could be great together again.”
“I don’t know…”
“Yes, you do. Don’t be difficult.” The tone in his voice changed for a quarter of a second, but Olivia caught it.
“I’m not,” she said with defiance.
“You mean to tell me you’re actually debating staying in this shithole over living in a sixteen hundred square foot apartment off of Fifth Avenue?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“You’re doing this out of spite.”
After all that had happened, he still thought everything she did was with childish intent.
“No, Daniel, I’m not.” She stood from the table, wiping her hand down her apron to smooth out the bunched material.
“Olivia, please.”
“Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.” If he really wanted to be with her, he’d give her space, let her figure things out on her own. He was pushing this too hard. What was his angle?
Daniel sighed, letting his hands fall onto the table. “You remember my business associate, Mr. Abrams?”
“Yes.” He was a lovely man who prided himself on loyalty and family. They’d had dinner with him many times. Every time he’d ask Daniel when he’d make an honest woman out of Olivia.
Realization smacked her across the face in a hard, cold hit. “You want something from him, don’t you? And you want me to tag along and give the façade like you’re some family man.”
“We’re having dinner Friday night, and he requested your presence.”
“Just tell him we broke up.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s old school, and if he doesn’t think I can commit to a relationship, then he’s not going to invest the half a million dollars I need from him.”
“Relationships end. Just tell him I broke up with you.”
“I am not going to do that.”
“Then I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not going to go to dinner with that nice man and pretend that you didn’t cheat on me.”
“Can you please, for two seconds, think like a reasonable adult and not a—”
“I swear to God if you say child, I’m going to knock your teeth out.”
Daniel tugged at the cuff of his shirt sleeve. “That’s nice, Olivia.”
“I’m done being nice to you. Now if you’re not going to order anything, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
He picked up a menu.
“What are you doing?” Olivia demanded.
“I did not drive all the way out to the east end for you to dismiss me. We have things to discuss, and I’m not leaving until we do.”
“You are impossible, you know that?”
“What’s good here?” he asked, opening the menu. He pulled his hand away and made a face as he rubbed his fingers together, lip curled in disgust. “Do you pay extra for the grease or is that just an added bonus?”
“It’s extra. I’m sure you can afford it.”
“Cute.” He looked at the menu, taking his damn time.
“The burgers are good,” she said. The faster he ordered, the faster she could get rid of him.
“You know I don’t eat that shit. It’s poison to your heart.”
“Funny, I thought your heart was already poisoned.”
Daniel put the menu down and turned to her. He reached for her hand, and she jolted back. With a sigh he let his arm drop onto the table. “Look, I know you’re upset.”
A laugh erupted out of her. “Upset? You’re damn right I’m upset! You cheated on me. You lied to me. You strung me along for three freaking years.”
“For three years you got to live in a penthouse over the city, work at one of the fastest growing companies in the country, rub noses with some of the most elite people in the world, and I didn’t hear you bitch once the entire time.”
She didn’t. Now looking back, she let countless things go, reminding herself how good she had it, and Daniel’s missteps were due to the fact that he was under a lot of pressure. It was nothing more than excuses, so she didn’t have to leave her lifestyle behind. He was right. She didn’t bitch because she was convinced having money meant she wouldn’t have to worry about anything else. Money fixed everything. Except when it didn’t.
“I was blinded by the opulence of your life, but the fog has lifted.” She swiped the menu out of his hand. “You’re getting a burger. If you don’t want it, you can leave.”
***
Shane couldn’t take his eyes away from Olivia and the guy in the suit. He didn’t have to ask; he knew in his gut it was her ex. The guy looked like a total jackass. From his slicked back blond hair to his oversized Rolex encrusted in diamonds and down to the cufflinks at his wrists, he was the epitome of flaunting wealth.
Connor was loaded, yet he still got his hands dirty in the kitchen. Shane would bet every cent in his savings account that Daniel never got his hands dirty. He probably hired people to do things like that for him.
A hand clamped his shoulder, and Connor came around. “How’s it going, cuz?”
“Everything’s good.” Shane poured
a glass of wine for Jean and pushed it across to her spot at the bar.
“Then why are you staring daggers over at that table?”
Shane swore he saw Jean turn her ear to their conversation, so he moved farther down the bar, his attention still locked on Olivia. “I’m pretty sure that’s her asshole ex, and from what she’s told me, I don’t trust the guy.”
‘That explains why you look like you’re ready to jump over the bar and gut someone.”
“I’m not an animal.” Shane laughed. “I would like to smack that smug look off his face, though.”
“I know his type,” Connor said. “Unfortunately, they’re in our family.”
“More cousins?” Shane asked.
“Yup.” Connor grabbed a pint glass and filled it up a quarter of the way with Hippidy Hop, an IPA from Five Leaf Brewery, before taking a sip. “Gabe, Bryce, and Dixon are Uncle Patrick’s kids. They live in Connecticut, but come summer, they’ll be popping their heads in here for free beer.”
“I can’t wait to meet them.” Shane didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in his tone.
“They’re not bad. Not as cool as me, but not many people are.”
“How many more cousins do I have?” Shane kept his eyes on Olivia.
“Other than those three, there’s Aunt Bridget’s kids, Abbey and Brianne. Stick around long enough and you’ll meet them all. Mimi has a big family get-together every year to kick the summer off.”
Olivia stormed from the table and into the kitchen. Shane patted Connor on the chest. “Cover me for a second.”
He hurried after her. She thrust her ticket at George who was manning the grill and about-faced it right into his chest. His hands gripped her biceps, and he held her back.
“Whoa,” he said. Fire burned in her eyes but softened when they settled on him. “You okay?”
“Fine,” she growled.
He pressed a finger to the edge of her lip. “The tightness here says otherwise.” His finger trailed the perimeter, and the fire simmered out completely.
“My ex is here,” she admitted.
Shane’s face hardened. If the asshole did anything to upset her more, he would toss his ass out into the street. “I’m guessing you’re not going to go back to the city with him?”
All Because of You (Morgan's Bay Book 1) Page 13