by T. K. Leigh
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to interfere.”
Alexander reached for Olivia’s hand and that spark was back. That feeling of electricity between them that Olivia had only read about in romance novels. That feeling she was convinced did not exist in real life. “If I didn’t want you to join me, I would not have asked you,” he said in a husky voice that just oozed sex.
Part of her wanted to refuse Alexander’s invitation. Yes, he was sexy as sin, but going out together, alone, scared Olivia. She secretly wanted to invite him over so she could fuck him and get him out of her system. Then she could go on with her perfectly ordered, albeit lonely, existence. But she realized something about Alexander would make it impossible to get him out of her system.
“I promise I don’t bite,” he whispered. “Unless you want me to.”
Fuck. How could she say no to that?
“Okay. I’ll go with you. But I need to go to Beer Works first for a watermelon ale.”
“Absolutely,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye. “The game starts at four-fifteen. Why don’t I pick you up at two? That way we can relax and have a few beers before the game.”
“Okay,” Olivia agreed, glancing down at her GPS watch. She had more than enough time to get in some serious running before he would pick her up.
“Please take it easy on the rest of your run.” Alexander looked down at the woman in front of him, the stern look back on his face. Olivia didn’t know whether to find it frightening or endearing that he seemed to care about her so much as to chastise her behavior. And there was something about that look and voice that made her want to obey him.
“I will.” Olivia turned to finish her run. She briefly glanced back and waved at him, thinking about what she had just agreed to. She had never dated before and immediately became anxious as she thought about what she had gotten herself into.
Growing up, Olivia went to an all girls boarding school for as long as she could remember. She would spend her summers with her uncle, who was her guardian, and he didn’t really allow her to date. He was a little over-protective, which was understandable, considering her parents were killed when she was young. Even in college, Olivia didn’t date. She would casually see people, but she never really let anyone in. This was her life and it worked perfectly until Alexander walked into it two nights ago. Thinking about his hooded eyes and the way his mouth caressed certain words made her stomach tighten in excitement. No one had ever made her feel like that before. And that scared her to death.
What was Alexander doing to her? She had known him for less than forty-eight hours and already he had her rethinking her relationships. Before meeting him, she was too worried about losing someone close to her to allow anyone in. She always pushed away anyone who seemed interested, refusing to fall in love. But now, something changed. And she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
~~~~~~~~~~
Olivia returned home around noon and got ready for her afternoon with Alexander. After showering and going through the tedious process of straightening her thick, curly hair, she headed downstairs to the kitchen and prepared a quick spinach and quinoa salad. As she ate, she sat at the breakfast bar, staring at the flowers Alexander sent the day before.
The yellow tulips and white calla lilies were beginning to slowly bloom and Olivia thought that the flowers could be a metaphor for her feelings for Alexander. They were slowly growing stronger and stronger. But just like everything else in her life, the flowers would inevitably die. And she would just be left alone. Again.
She played around with her salad, regretting that she actually agreed to go to the game with Alexander. It seemed like a good idea at the time as his delicious body stood in front of her, his voice husky when he told her he didn’t bite unless she wanted him to. But now in the clarity of her home, she knew it would just end up horribly for all involved. Nothing ever worked out for Olivia. She was all sorts of crazy and it was only a matter of time before her crazy scared off Alexander. As she finished her lunch, she wondered why she even cared. She needed to clear her head.
Trekking up to the third floor of her house, she entered her huge music room, which took up the entire floor. It was her pride and joy. After she bought her house, she hired contractors to demolish all the walls between rooms, making the third floor one large open space. It was just her, so she didn’t have a need for two additional guest bedrooms. One guest bedroom and one master bedroom was all she really needed.
Entering the large room, she smiled as she walked to the upright piano placed against the wall facing the street, a feeling of calm overtaking her body from being enclosed in the four walls of her musical sanctuary.
In addition to her piano, she had several different types of guitars, a keyboard, amps, and anything else a musician could possibly desire. Several framed posters of her favorite bands and musicians adorned the walls. Against the far wall sat a large couch as well as several lounge chairs. That room was her refuge when things got bad. Some weeks, it seemed she practically lived in there.
Olivia shuffled through her bookcase, searching for the sheet music to the song she had on her mind, not really even needing it, but it never hurt to have a guide. After several minutes of searching, she found it, making a mental note to organize her music. The room was a little stuffy, given the late August heat, so she opened one of the large windows to let in some fresh air, looking down at the street below to make sure Alexander wasn’t there yet.
She walked over to the piano and placed the music in front of her. Olivia had one passion in life. And that passion was music. It was how she dealt with life.
Olivia sat down and started the song, the sound of the piano and her voice filling the large room, the acoustics perfect.
At that moment, Alexander pulled up in front of Olivia’s house. He rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang again. Still no answer. He immediately became concerned. He tried the door. It was unlocked. He gingerly opened it, calling Olivia’s name. His ears were soon met with a beautiful melody that could only be Olivia singing.
He immediately flashed back to his younger years. Spending time with family friends. Playing piano and singing along during the holidays. Then having those friends taken from him. They weren’t the only victims that day. Part of Alexander died that day, too.
He walked up the stairs, listening to Olivia play piano, her voice soaring through the house. He could hear the pain and loss.
As Olivia sang, she thought about everyone she had lost in her life. She grieved for her parents, desperately hoping that she had made them proud. She grieved for the life she had before the accident. The life she couldn’t remember. She wasn’t sure if it was the loss of her parents that caused her so much pain or whether it was the loss of her life before that day. She tried so hard to remember her friends and family. She must have had friends. But who were they? And where were they now? Would they remember her? And why couldn’t she remember them? No. The only clue she had about her life before the accident came to her in the form of her dream. The green-eyed boy.
Olivia finished the song, keeping her eyes closed for a few seconds, trying to deal with her emotions after singing the song that reminded her so much of her parents and all the loss she had suffered throughout her life.
She took a deep, steadying breath before she heard a clapping sound in the doorway behind her. She screamed, jumping out of her chair and turning around. Alexander stood there, leaning against the doorway, a bright smile across his chiseled face. God, he looks good, Olivia said to herself, salivating over the man standing in front of her. No matter what, he definitely had good style, she thought, eyeing his crisp white polo shirt, plaid shorts and a pair of flip flops. I love a man who can wear flip flops, she smiled to herself.
“That was beautiful,” Alexander said, breaking Olivia’s stream of thought.
“How did you get in here?” She looked at him, crossing her arms defensively.
“I rang the doorbell and you didn’t answer. I was wo
rried something had happened to you. Your door was unlocked, so I let myself in. Then I heard you playing the piano and singing. I just had to listen to you.”
He took a step forward, brushing a wayward strand of hair behind Olivia’s ear, his hand lingering, trying to keep his eyes trained on her face. Her legs looked amazing in the short navy and white striped sundress she wore that she accented with coral jewelry. He thought about how it would feel to have those long legs wrapped around him. Snapping out of his thoughts, he smiled. “You’re very talented, you know.”
She blushed at his words, staring down at her feet. “Thank you.” Olivia didn’t take compliments very well, unsure of the reason why. She knew she was talented. She had been singing and performing for as long as she could remember. It was the only thing that truly gave her joy.
“Look at me, Olivia,” Alexander demanded. Olivia snapped her head up, unsure of why she felt the need to obey him. But she did. “You are very talented.” He held her chin in place and stared at those big brown eyes of hers.
“Sorry I didn’t hear the doorbell. It’s hard to hear it up here,” Olivia said, interrupting the building tension that she started to feel all over her body, including between her legs. She turned around and folded the cover over the piano keys, needing to separate herself from Alexander before she invited him straight to her bedroom.
“Are you ready to go?” He held his hand out to her.
“Yes,” she replied, grabbing his hand.
Alexander marveled at how small her hand felt when enveloped in his. They walked out the front door and she turned to lock up. She felt Alexander come up behind her, mere inches away. He whispered in her ear, “Please always remember to lock your front door, even when you’re home. You can’t trust anyone.”
“I thought you said I could trust you.” Olivia turned to face him, remembering his words from a few nights ago. She smirked while she placed her keys in her purse.
“You probably shouldn’t, but I’d like you to.” He smiled a sort of mischievous smile, caressing Olivia’s forehead where her bruise was. She closed her eyes at the contact, enjoying the feeling of Alexander’s hands on her face. Why did a simple touch feel so good? Olivia didn’t want to think about what it would feel like if he were to touch other parts of her body. She thought she would explode.
Alexander stared down at Olivia, both of their breathing becoming heavier. He couldn’t understand the pull that woman had on him. He led a life of few distractions, avoiding all serious relationships, just like Olivia. It was hard to maintain total control when in a relationship. Instead, he would see a few women on occasion. Women who knew and understood his needs. But Olivia made him want to change his mind.
“Do you feel it, too?” he asked, bringing his hand to cup her chin, tilting her head up.
“Yes,” Olivia breathed, her voice husky. She was normally cool, calm, and collected. Around Alexander, she acted like a thirteen-year-old girl who had her first crush.
“Good,” he said, turning and walking down her front steps, opening the back door to the waiting Escalade. Olivia needed to take a minute to steady herself so that she didn’t trip over her feet. Once she was finally confident that she could climb down the stairs without causing serious bodily harm, she joined Alexander on the sidewalk and climbed into the car.
Martin sat at the driver’s seat and greeted Olivia as she entered the SUV. “Good afternoon, Miss Adler.”
“Hello, Martin.”
“Looking forward to the ball game this afternoon?”
“Yes, I am. Thank you.” The door opposite her opened and Alexander sat down, preparing for the short drive. He reached out and grabbed Olivia’s hand.
Her skin really was soft. Alexander could touch her all day. “You look beautiful today, Miss Adler,” he said softly as he stared into her eyes.
“Thank you, Mr. Burnham,” Olivia smirked, thinking about how much she wanted to scream his name.
Alexander brought Olivia’s hand to his lips and kissed it very gently. Her heart raced at the contact from his lips on her body. She stared into his eyes and realized she was falling for that man, as much as she didn’t want that to happen. That was bad. Very, very bad.
CHAPTER SIX
PUZZLE PIECES
OLIVIA and Alexander arrived at Beer Works after a longer than normal drive from Olivia’s house. She didn’t live far from Fenway Park, but with all the fans out in the streets for the game, it took a little longer than normal, which was to be expected on game day in Boston.
There was already a line outside, but the doorman saw Alexander and permitted the pair to enter, nodding a greeting to him. As they made their way through the industrial looking microbrewery, Alexander was greeted by more people, shaking hands with some, stopping to take pictures with others. He must have been more well-known than Olivia originally thought.
Olivia had distanced herself so much from the social scene that she didn’t realize she was in the company of a local celebrity. Alexander had recently been named one of the country’s most eligible bachelors by Esquire magazine, but that wasn’t something he really bragged about.
They made their way to an empty high top table toward the rear of the large bar and sat down. A server came to take their order of two watermelon ales. As she waited for her drink, Olivia’s mind drifted back to the song she was singing before Alexander arrived. She loved the feeling of sharing a beautiful song with someone. And she felt that she shared that song with Alexander, although she wasn’t aware he was even standing there. She wondered if he was able to figure out the meaning behind the song, about how she lost the few parental figures she had in her life. First when she was six, and then again on the day of her college graduation.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Alexander said, watching Olivia stare out into space, deep in thought, as a server dropped off two watermelon ales complete with watermelon slice.
“Sorry,” she said, returning her eyes to Alexander. “I was just thinking about my college graduation.”
“Oh yeah? What about it?” He took a sip from his beer and Olivia did the same. It was so refreshing.
“Nothing really. Just how it seems so long ago. Thanks for inviting me.” Olivia anxiously wanted to try to steer the conversation toward him and his life.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at Olivia, staring at her perfect plump lips. He wondered how they tasted. He desperately wanted to find out. But, for once, he wasn’t going to rush this. He could tell that Olivia was someone with a past. If he scared her off, he would regret it. For the first time he could remember, he wanted more than just a one-night stand with someone. And he wondered whether she felt the same way.
Olivia shifted nervously in her seat, taking a sip of beer with her trembling hand, fearful that he would ask too many questions. Questions she didn’t want to answer.
“So, Alexander,” she said, looking into his eyes, breaking the growing tension. “Are you a big Red Sox fan?” She figured that was a safe topic. Boys love their sports, right?
“I am,” he said, his smile widening. “I spent my summers on the Cape growing up and remember going to games with my Dad when I was little.” Olivia was relieved when he started to share some personal information about himself. She was eager to learn more about the man sitting in front of her, even though she was hesitant to share anything about herself.
“I’ve never actually been to a game inside Fenway,” Olivia said quietly.
“What?” he exclaimed, dumbfounded. “How long have you been living here?”
That was a relatively safe question, so she decided to answer him truthfully. “I went to Boston College for undergrad. I started there about ten years ago. After graduation, I left but I ended up coming back about a year ago.” She smiled, but he could tell there was more to the story. After an awkward silence, Olivia continued talking. “I missed it here and this was the only place that really felt like home.” She tapped her fingernails nervously against the metal table.
“Charleston, South Carolina,” Olivia laughed. She looked at Alexander, who seemed to have a perplexed look on his face. “I’m a southern beach bum at heart,” she said, trying to bring the smile back to his face that was there seconds before.
Alexander couldn’t believe she said she grew up in Charleston. He remained silent and stared at her as if he was trying to put a puzzle together.
But there was really no puzzle to put together. Olivia was just a girl from South Carolina who lost her family and wanted to start over.
Before she could ask him another question and keep the attention off her, he asked, “How about your parents? Are they still in Charleston?” He needed to know. He needed the back-story. Too many pieces were falling into place. There had been too many coincidences. The age. The name. Where she grew up. The music. Most of all, the music.
She froze after Alexander’s question. That was the part about forming relationships Olivia hated. She despised the look she received when she told people that her parents were killed in a car crash when she was only six and too young to remember. Alexander looked at her with intense eyes. She started breathing quick and fast. It felt like the room was closing in on her.
She needed to get out of there. “I’ll be right back,” she said, stumbling out of her chair and trying to act as normal as possible. “Nature calls.”
Alexander watched as Olivia practically ran away from the table, not knowing how to react to what just happened. She clearly had a panic attack. All he did was ask about her parents. That was another piece of the puzzle falling too easily into place. What happened to her parents? He needed to know.
Safe in the ladies room, Olivia took a minute to calm her breathing, splashing some water on her face and willing her heart to stop beating so quickly. She had never figured out why she panicked when people asked about her parents. Her therapist seemed to think that Olivia was repressing some memories about them; memories that were painful, causing her to react that way. The doctor was obviously full of it, according to Olivia, because she had very few memories of her parents.