"Oh, and the puppy is yours, if you want her," he added.
"Really? Yes, I love her."
"She probably needs to go out. We fell asleep waiting. I'll have one of the servants come and show you out, then to your room."
Bethany's eyes widened, and he smiled. "We will speak more on the morrow. There is much to tell you."
"Speaking of much to tell," Ariel broke in. "I have news."
Richard turned to her, noting the way she held her hands over her stomach. She wore the same gown she'd left in. He smiled at it, glad she'd taken the time. "What news?"
"I'm pregnant."
He laughed joyously and picked her up and swung her around. "Then we will marry as soon as we can prepare things. If you're still willing to be mine."
"I've crossed space and time to be with you. I'm finally home."
He drew her in and kissed her.
"Welcome home, my lady."
"Thank you, my lord. I love you."
"And I you," he said and kissed her again.
Bethany cleared her throat then rolled her eyes at them when they turned to her. "Get a room. I'll go find a servant myself. Come, Shawna. Let's go see where you can pee."
Richard laughed, Ariel joining him. Yes. Life just became bloody good.
About the Author
Leona Bushman is a crazy writer taught by dragons and known as Dragon Queen of the North. She loves to write and paint, even when her muse tries to muck things up. She chases after the three out of the five children still at home, and sometimes after the other two and the grandbaby around a full time job. She has many hobbies like SCA, quilting, sewing, and gardening.
Or, as one blogger succinctly put it, Leona Bushman is a whirlwind made of sheer will with a dash of clumsy to keep her grounded. She can be found solving mysteries, exploring space, making art, and loving dragons and other creatures of the supernatural at these places:
@L_Bushman
AuthorLeonaBushman
www.leonajbushman.com
Removing the Layers
Nicole Morgan
Removing the Layers © 2017 by Nicole Morgan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
About Removing the Layers
Olivia “Livie” Maitland just passed her one year anniversary since her new lease on life began. On the outside she looked like a completely different woman, but on the inside she was still very much that shy introvert that felt more like the awkward wall flower, then the woman that everyone else seemed to see.
Jake Olson had been watching Livie from the moment he met her nearly two years earlier. Though he’d tried more than once to strike up conversations with her in an attempt to ask her out, his efforts were often met with her polite, yet obvious avoidance.
When their boss invites them all to a weekend masquerade party at his island retreat, Jake decides to take matters into his own hands and find a way to break through Livie’s nearly impenetrable defensive walls.
He just needs one night, one chance.
He needs her.
Removing the Layers is a story for all of my readers who believe in fantasies. While some of them may be unattainable, or even a bit out of this world, a fantasy is good for everyone. Whether it be young lovers, or couples who have been together a lifetime, we all can use something to spice up our lives.
So here’s to fantasies, and all that they do to enrich our lives.
Happy Reading, all!
Much love, and years of happiness!
~ Nicole Morgan
Chapter One
Jake Olson glanced up from his desk and watched as Olivia Maitland walked down the hallway to their main conference room. She had a gracefulness to the way she moved. Every step she seemed to be gliding on air, rather than stepping on their expensive Italian marble tile floors. Her poise was merely one of her many attributes, though. While she didn’t wear much makeup, or do much with her hair, she managed to make her look work for her in ways that most of the women he was used to dating never seemed to be able to master. She was every bit of elegant.
Her dark chocolate hair, always neatly pulled up into a bun, constantly managed to have a few stray hairs fall loose by half way through her day. He couldn’t count the number of times that he'd lost himself in daydreams of what it might be like to wrap his fingers around the little ringlets of hair that covered her ears.
Her business-like glasses were also a major bone of contention for his willpower. Though the plain black framed spectacles might be ordinary on most, they drove him absolutely crazy. Her green eyes looked more like flames than the emerald color that they were.
They were vibrant, alive and full of, what he was sure, had to be more passion than even she realized she was capable of. Damn, but he could stare at her for hours and never grow bored.
He grinned when David Rollings, one of the firm’s partners, stopped her for one of his almost daily attempts at hitting on her. Despite being married with two children, he never gave up on his quest to add Olivia to his growing list of office affairs. Most women took him up on his sleazy advances, but not her, not Olivia.
True to her well-mannered nature she merely offered a polite smile and went about her task of delivering coffee to the group who’d flown in from their Chicago office. Despite being one of the smaller women at the firm, she managed to carry the tray of saucers, cups and a large coffee carafe like a seasoned waitress.
His phone rang and he begrudgingly answered it, unhappy with whoever it was that was interrupting his efforts of dreaming about what may be.
“This is Olson.”
He cringed when he heard the grating voice of their most senior partner in the firm, Frank Harrington. The man had never done a thing for Jake to dislike him, he was just one of those unlikable types. He came from old money, was one of the richest men in the city and had the arrogance to match it.
There weren’t many who cared for the man, but he was good at what he did and his name on the letterhead brought in a nice salary for Jake and all who worked there.
“Jake, Frank Harrington here.”
“Yes, sir?” Jake replied while rolling his eyes.
He never understood why the man always introduced himself with an air of superiority about him. It wasn’t like anyone at the firm didn’t know who he was. His grandfather had founded the firm sixty years earlier and the man's picture hung on the main wall when stepping off the elevators.
“I was wondering if you could come up to my office. I have some news.”
"I'll be right up," Jake replied before hanging up the phone.
Anyone else might be nervous about be called up to the head honcho’s office, but for some reason the old guy liked Jake, and he wasn’t too modest to admit that he was one of their most efficient and profitable attorneys on staff.
He may only be five years out of law school, but Jake knew his way around corporate litigation more than some of the more seasoned attorneys they had on staff.
He grabbed his planner from his desk and walked it out to his secretary on his way to the elevators. Janice, the woman assigned to him from the secretary pool wasn’t at her desk. Not that it surprised him. The woman had a serious nicotine addiction and probably took at least two dozen breaks on any given day.
He’d been about to jot a quick note down on a post-it note for her when the soft, angelic voice coming from behind him grabbed his attention.
“Mr. Olson, can I help you with anything?”
He turned around to see Olivia standing before him. Those damn little ringlets looked so damn adorable he wanted to twist one up in his finger.
“Now Olivia, how many times have I asked you to call me, Jake?”
With a soft smile, she replied, "Sorry. I guess I'm just used to being formal with
all the other attorneys."
“Well, I’m not all the other attorneys.” He grinned, hoping to bring her at ease.
For years he’d been admiring her, watching her from afar, and wondering what it must be like to feel her creamy, porcelain-like skin, or tasting her plump pink lips.
“I suppose not. Just a habit my mother taught me.”
“Well, while you are incessantly polite, there is no need for such formalities with me.”
She nodded in agreement, but he could tell he hadn’t fully chipped away at her proper demeanor.
“Do you happen to know where Janice is?”
“On break.”
He laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I suppose she does take a few.” She replied.
"Not you, though. I'm not sure I've ever seen you take a break, other than to get a cup of coffee that is."
“I take my fair share.”
“I doubt that. Something tells me you don’t take nearly enough time for yourself.”
“Hi, Jake.”
Connie, one of the paralegals walked by with her come-hither attitude and seductive sway. On the surface, she was a good looking woman, but despite her nice body and attractive face, she didn't do anything for him. And it wasn't for her lack of trying. She made it very obvious that she was ready and available to Jake, or any of the attorneys really, all they had to do was say the word.
“Hi, Connie.”
Olivia dropped her head and turned away. Her entire demeanor, although not very outgoing to begin with, turned almost sheepish in the presence of the Connie.
Jake wondered why she was so quiet. He doubted that she wasn’t asked out by men. Even if she didn’t fit the quintessential mold that society made up of what was seductive, she was at the very least utterly adorable.
“So, where were we?”
“Oh, I was just wondering if there was anything I could help you with.”
He leaned in a little, taking a cursory glance of the area around them and spoke only loud enough for her to hear.
“And I was wondering why you don’t do things for yourself.”
“I do… things.” She blinked her brilliant green eyes at him.
“But do you ever have fun?”
“I… well, I mean…” she stumbled over her words.
Jake liked that he made her a little nervous. He didn’t want her to see him as just one of the attorneys at their firm. He wanted her to see him as a man. A man who couldn’t get her out of his mind. A man who wanted her, and wanted her bad.
“Olson!”
He groaned at the sound of his name. His attention was focused solely on Olivia and whoever was interrupting that was sure to be off of his Christmas card list.
Turning around he saw the sleaziest of all the partners. Bradley Burns, the only one in their firm who practiced in criminal defense stood in front of the bank of elevators.
“Yes?” he asked, annoyed beyond words.
“I’m heading up to see the boss man. Says he all wants to give us some news.”
“I’m aware. I’ll be up in a few.”
"Ah, come on man. Ride up with me. I've got a story to tell you about that redhead down at the corner café."
“Fine. I’ll be right there.” Jake smiled his best, but his clenched teeth gave him away.
“Did you want me to give Janice a message?” Olivia asked.
Turning his attention back to Olivia he gave her the sexiest grin he could muster. Hoping that the one that usually worked so well for him during Happy Hour with the guys would have some sort of a reaction with her.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll just get with her later.”
“Okay, Mr. Ol… I mean, Jake.”
“There ya go. See, now that isn’t so bad, is it?”
“I suppose not.”
“Here.” He handed his planner to her. “Could you put this back on my desk?”
For a brief moment, he held onto the planner even though he could have easily let go. Brushing his thumb across the softest skin he'd ever felt, he added, "Thanks. And think about what I said too. You're far too adorable to not treat yourself every once in awhile."
The blush that built up her cheeks was all the reason Jake needed to walk away feeling accomplished.
“Olson, you coming or what?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
Feeling a little bold, he winked before turning away. The slight blush on her face was quickly replaced with a full flush of red covering her neck, right down to the curvaceous bump of her breasts.
It may have been minor, only a small, even perhaps fleeting victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. That proper and business-like demeanor that he'd been chipping away at for the past several months was finally a little weaker.
She was staring at him as he stepped onto the elevator with Burns. It was a look of curiosity, a look of wonderment. Those green eyes of her were more vivacious than ever. And watching them sparkle underneath the fluorescent lights of their office, only made him want her more.
Soon, he thought.
Very very soon.
Chapter Two
Olivia watched Jake as the elevator doors closed and he disappeared, leaving only the rich mahogany doors for her to stare at. They might be gorgeous, and fine craftsmanship, but they didn’t hold a candle to Jake Olson.
The young attorney had caught her eye from nearly the first day she had started with the firm. His chiseled face and dimpled chin, matched with his jet black hair and sexy grin had been the perfect recipe to brighten her days.
She never much sought him out. Her shyness always got the better of her, making her avoid him more than she ever actually talked with him. That never stopped him from flirting with her, though. He could fluster her with the best of them.
Never being very sure of herself, she rarely gave men much attention. Even the ones who would hit on her or ask her out didn't garner much interest. Jake Olson, on the other hand, wasn't just any other guy. He was a man, a man who very much heightened her awareness of her body and her needs whenever he was around.
For that brief moment, their hands had touched she felt her body flutter with excitement. Out of all the men in the office he was by far the one who captured most of her attention. Truth be told, there weren't many men that she'd met over the past couple of years that had interested her at all.
Coming from a small town on the eastern plains of Colorado, she wasn't exactly wise to the ways of the world. Not that Denver was the biggest of all the bustling metropolis cities, but it was still a high energy town with a nightlife that matched the ever growing landscape of condominiums and lofts.
Still, as much as she may not fit into this town, there was something about Jake's smile and the way he always spoke to her which made her feel like a teenager being asked about by the cutest boy in class.
She knew it was foolish to fantasize about Jake, but that didn’t always prevent her from losing herself in daydreams which centered on him, and a steamy office rendezvous.
“Hello? Earth to Olivia.”
The obnoxiously grinding voice of Janice broke Olivia from her thoughts. Every time Olivia heard her voice it was all she could do to keep herself from handing the woman a throat lozenge.
“I’m sorry, Janice. What were you saying?”
The woman chuckled. “The better question is, what were you thinking?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Oh come on now, girl. Don’t give me that. I’ve seen a tiger eyeball a steak with more restraint than you were checking out that hot piece of ass, Jake Olson.”
“Janice!” Olivia looked around to be sure no one had heard her.
“Oh don’t be such a prude. It’s not like we all haven’t thought about that hottie ourselves.”
While Olivia had no doubt that most women in the office probably did fantasize about Jake, she hardly wanted to hear about it.
Changing the subject, she replied. “Here, it’s his planner. I think he was
going to ask you something, but he said he’d just get with you later.”
The instant Janice waggled her brows Olivia knew her choice of words had been a big mistake.
“Oh, I’ll get with him later. You bet your sweet little hiney I will.”
She tried her best to laugh with the older woman. Janice was after all her superior. She’d been with the firm the longest out of all the secretaries, so it wouldn’t have served her well to get on the woman’s bad side.
“Oh don’t you worry, honey.” Janice nudged at her shoulder playfully. “That man’s only got eyes for you.”
About to sit down, Olivia’s eyes widened and she shot back up. “What?”
“Oh come on. You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t see it. Hell, everyone in this office sees it.”
“Sees what, exactly?”
"You're kidding, right? God, please tell me you're kidding."
Olivia shrugged.
"Oh, honey." Janice put her arm around Olivia and leaned in close. "Darling, that man wants you. Haven't you ever seen him staring at you? Checking you out?"
“What? No!”
While the thought did entice her, Olivia hardly considered herself Jake Olson’s type. He was sophisticated, charismatic and so damn sexy she could cry. He was the exact opposite of everything that she was.
“Sweetie, I know you’re from some small town that I ain’t never heard of, but surely you aren’t so naïve to not see what is happening right in front of you.”
“I guess I am. Because I don’t see it.”
With a boisterous laugh, Janice took Jake's planner and started to walk away before turning back to add, "Good heavens, girl. You need to get laid."
“Janice!”
Olivia was thoroughly embarrassed when one of the paralegals walked passed and smirked in her direction.
“What? Did I say anything that wasn’t true?”
Janice rounded the glass corner into Jake's office and Olivia sat down in utter embarrassment. It wasn't like the woman wasn't right. She hadn't had sex in almost two years. And despite her ever-growing and unintentional solitude, she still had her needs.
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