by Becca Steele
“Hello? Luke? Is everything okay?”
“Payne.” I was suddenly lost for words, unsure why I’d called her rather than anyone else.
“Luke, what is it?” Her voice was soft, concerned.
“I’m not sure. I guess I needed to hear someone’s voice.”
I heard her soft intake of breath at my quiet admission. “Okay. Is there anything you want to talk to me about?”
Leaning back on the sofa, I stretched my legs out in front of me, listening to her warm voice. It soothed something inside me, and all I wanted was for her to keep talking.
“Tell me something about you.”
“About me?” She gave a breathy, surprised, laugh. “Um…okay. Let me think.” We were both silent for a moment, and then she began to speak.
“I always wanted to move to London. I remember my dad taking me to visit once, and that was when I decided that I was going to make it my home one day. I must have been five or six at the time, and I remember being surrounded by so much noise, so many things to look at, so much life. It felt like the city was its own living, breathing entity. I grew up in a small town, where everyone knew everyone else. I always felt stifled, closed-in. Does that all even make sense?”
“Perfect sense,” I murmured, closing my eyes, enjoying listening to her softly spoken words. “Carry on, please.”
“Alright. Anyway, I vowed that I’d live here one day. Life got in the way, and before I knew it, I was trudging along in a dull marketing job, in a small town, with the exact same routine. Every. Single. Day. Nothing ever changed.” She took a deep breath. “One Friday I was sitting in my mum and dad’s house with my brother, Sam, complaining about how boring my life was, and he said to me, ‘Why don’t you change it, then? There’s nothing stopping you.’ I remember staring at him, thinking it couldn’t be that easy, surely. That night I applied for the job at Barrett London. And here we are now.”
“Here we are.”
“Hold on, I’m just putting you on speaker.” Her voice came through distantly, and I heard the sound of her moving around.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh! Uh, I’m putting some clothes on. I’d just got out of the bath when you phoned me.”
“Fucking hell,” I muttered under my breath, my dick jerking to life at the image of her naked and wet. I groaned, shifting on the sofa, trying to get my wayward thoughts under control. I should not be having this kind of reaction to Olivia Payne. At all. Ever. “How was work?” I asked in a rush, my voice strained.
“Work was work.” She sounded louder again. “Okay, I’m dressed now. Want to try something?”
“What?”
“Well.” She hesitated. “It sounds a bit silly. When I first moved to London and I was feeling lonely, I’d phone my brother and we’d tune into the same TV channel and both watch it together on the phone. Sometimes we’d talk about what was happening; other times we’d watch in silence. But it made me feel less alone.” Her voice grew softer. “Luke, I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be going through, but if you feel like you want some company, and potentially some terrible TV commentary, then I’m here.”
What did I have to lose? “Let’s give it a try. Thanks.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Don’t thank me yet. You may well get annoyed by my commentary.”
“Impossible,” I stated, the beginnings of a grin forming on my face.
“Luke, you do remember who you’re talking to? The one person that winds you up more than anyone else on the entire planet?”
My smile grew wider. “The entire planet? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think? We’re friends now, remember.”
“Yeah. Okay, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you, my friend.”
“Consider me warned.”
She laughed again. “Right, let’s do this. Let me see… Put your TV onto E4.”
I reached for the remote and switched it on.
14
Olivia
Déjà vu. Why did this keep happening to me? My timing was the worst. Yet again, I stumbled into the lift that would take me up to the eighteenth floor, and yet again, the crush of bodies made it almost impossible to move. I tripped over a shiny black loafer and careened backwards, crashing into a solid torso. A pair of hands touched my waist, steadying me.
“Careful,” the low, husky voice murmured in my ear.
Luke.
His hands stayed resting lightly on my sides, his right thumb moving in slow, lazy circles. I was on fire where he was touching me. Why isn’t he letting me go? And why aren’t I telling him to?
He leaned down, his warmth and male scent enveloping me, hints of spice and cedar, and something I couldn’t put my finger on that was uniquely Luke. I shivered.
His nose brushed my neck.
“You smell good,” he whispered, too quietly for anyone else around us to hear him. My breath hitched, goosebumps blossoming all over my skin, and my mind struggled to form a coherent thought.
As usual, the lift mostly emptied out on the fifteenth floor. I made no effort to move from where I stood, pressed against Luke’s body. My heart rate sped up, and my breathing grew faster.
What am I doing?
The doors opened on the eighteenth floor, and the spell was broken. I raced out, not daring to look behind me. Flying into the office, I barely registered Eddie’s bemused expression and fell into my chair. The force of my journey sent the chair spinning on a wild trajectory, and my thigh collided with the edge of the metal filing cabinet under the window.
“Ow!” I shouted, the sudden pain bringing tears to my eyes. Wincing, I pulled up the hem of my grey pencil skirt and stared at the bright red mark marring my skin.
Eddie’s head peered round my computer screen. “Liv? Are you okay, babes?”
“No. I. Am. Not.” I gritted my teeth.
“Coffee,” he said. “Don’t move.”
“Not much chance of that,” I mumbled, rubbing the painful mark on my leg.
He was back in under five minutes, bearing a huge latte.
“You are truly the best.” I took a grateful sip. “What would I do without you?”
“You’d have to get your own coffee, for a start.” He winked. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.” He sat down and leaned his arms on my desk, staring at me, eyebrows raised expectantly.
“I just whacked my leg into the bloody filing cabinet.”
“No, that’s not it.” He narrowed his gaze at me. “You rushed in here as if you were running for your life.”
Groaning, I dropped my head to the desk, burying my face in my arms.
“ItmhkIllkm.”
“What? I couldn’t understand a word of that. Repeat, please.”
I raised my head, staring at him in despair. I beckoned him closer so no one else could hear my whispered confession. “I said, I think I like Luke. Like, like him.”
His jaw dropped.
Then he laughed so hard that tears formed in his eyes. “Oh, this is priceless,” he wheezed, doubling over. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“This isn’t funny, Ed,” I wailed. “What am I going to do?”
“Oh, it is funny. Your sworn enemy, ‘he-who-shall-not-be-named,’ is now your crush,” he gasped between laughs.
“Keep your voice down, will you?” I hissed. “I do not have a ‘crush,’ as you so maturely put it. I just—argh!” I buried my face in my arms again.
I heard the sound of a chair wheeling closer, then felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, I’m sorry for laughing,” Eddie said. He was silent for a moment. “No, that’s not true. I’m not sorry.” I could hear the amusement in his voice. “But I am sorry that you seem so stressed about it. Want to tell me what happened?”
I needed to talk to someone otherwise I’d go crazy, and this wasn’t something I wanted to dissect with my best friend, Avery, at the moment. Not until I could get my head around it, whatever it was that I was feeling.
Opening
up the communal calendar, I booked the meeting room for myself, then dragged Eddie into the empty room, grabbing a random notepad and pen so it looked like we were working. I gave him a quick rundown of the situation, telling him how I’d gone to Luke’s and somehow fallen asleep there, then rehashed this morning’s lift encounter.
Eddie sat in enthralled silence the entire time, mouth hanging open.
When I’d finished, he leaned forward, clasping my hands.
“You are absolutely, one hundred percent, in lust with Luke Davenport. You should have seen your face when you talked about him pressed up against you in the lift.” He fanned himself. “Why didn’t I think to video you telling me?” he muttered under his breath.
I rolled my eyes.
“Okay, serious question, please. What am I going to do, Ed?” I implored plaintively.
“What do you want to do, darling? Does he feel the same way?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged helplessly. “My head is so messed up right now. To go from being enemies, to tolerating each other, to, well, whatever this is, it feels like my brain is trying to play catch-up.”
“If I were you, I’d chill. There’s no need to work out all the answers right now, is there? Take one day at a time, give your brain time to deal with everything, and see what happens.”
I mulled over Eddie’s words. “You’re right. I’m not going to worry about it anymore.”
“I’m always right.” His tone was smugly satisfied. “And for what it’s worth, I personally think you two are perfect for each other.”
I arched an eyebrow.
“You’re both headstrong, don’t take crap from each other, you work well together when you’re not fighting, and you’re both beyond gorgeous.” He sighed, batting his eyelids at me.
“If you say so. I haven’t even really decided how I feel about him yet—” I was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called. The door opened and Luke stood there, eyes sparkling and his gorgeous mouth curved into a smile directed at me. A blush stole across my cheeks, turning them hot, and I smiled back inanely.
Eddie laughed in delight, looking between us.
I kicked his shin under the table.
“Ouch! What was that for?” he hissed, smirking knowingly.
“Out. Now.” I pointed my finger at the doorway.
He shook his head and stood to leave. Bending down, he whispered in my ear, “You are so screwed. You luurve him.” He strolled out, stopping to make a kissing face behind Luke’s back, and I threw my middle finger up at him.
“Bugger off, Ed,” I called.
“With pleasure, darling.” He grinned and disappeared around the corner.
“What was all that about?” Luke asked curiously, sinking into the chair Eddie had just vacated.
“You don’t want to know,” I muttered darkly. I took a giant sip of coffee, willing my heated cheeks to cool.
He laughed. “Knowing Eddie? Probably not.”
“You okay? How are you doing today?” I eyed him, concerned.
His face quickly turned serious, and he shuffled in his seat. “I…I’ve been better. That’s why I was coming to see you, as a matter of fact. I, er, wanted to say thanks for the support.”
“Anytime, Luke. I mean it.” I stared down at the desk, suddenly shy.
We both shifted in our seats, and I coughed. “Well, this isn’t at all awkward.” I rolled my eyes, pulling a face.
“Wanna insult me?” Luke suggested.
“Hmmm.” I pretended to think. “Not right now. Maybe later.”
“Aw, you’re no fun.” He mock-pouted.
“Sorry to disappoint. I don’t insult on command.”
“That’s not the Olivia I know.”
Olivia? “Hey, you called me Olivia.”
His brow creased. “Yeah, what of it? It’s your name, is it not?”
He looked so confused that I laughed. “Do you realise that you’ve never once called me by my first name?”
“I haven’t?” He sat back, deep in thought. “Huh. I guess I haven’t. O-liv-ia.” He dragged out the word in a low, throaty tone, and I shivered.
Bloody hell, Ed was right. I was lusting after this man. Badly.
Flustered, I began babbling about our project. I’d never been so glad for Luke’s professionalism as I was right then. He switched straight into work mode, and after we’d grabbed our laptops and paperwork, we reconvened in the conference room to discuss the changes we needed to get started on.
The office was emptying out, but Luke and I were hard at work in the conference room, papers spread all over the table. We’d been working on the project changes all day and had both agreed to push through while we were on a roll.
An hour later and I’d run out of steam. I stared out of the window at the darkened streets, rubbing my temples, a headache beginning to form.
“Luke, I think I’m done. I can’t focus anymore.” I dropped my pen on the table with a clatter.
“Luke?” He wasn’t listening to me. I followed his heated gaze to where my skirt had ridden up, exposing much more of my leg than I planned.
Oh.
The tension between us became palpable. Something had changed between us, something neither of us had acknowledged.
My mouth went dry.
I grabbed my water and took a large swig.
“Olivia.” His voice was a low, husky caress. I raised my eyes to meet his. Long, sooty lashes framed his gorgeous eyes, the green darkened to black.
“What’s happening?” I whispered.
“I don’t know,” he ground out, his voice a raw, gravelly scrape.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his. Eyes locked, we stared at each other for what seemed like forever.
“Luke,” I breathed, my voice barely audible. “I—”
His lips crashed onto mine.
The world stopped spinning.
Luke Davenport was kissing me.
His full lips moved against mine, his tongue seeking entry into my mouth. I opened up and let him in.
He tugged me towards him so I was straddling his strong thighs. His hands pulled me closer, moving up my back until he was cupping the back of my neck. I slid my fingers through his soft, dark hair, our tongues tangling so deliciously that I moaned into his mouth, grinding my hips into him, wanting to be even closer.
“Fuck, Liv,” he groaned, trailing his lips down my neck. I panted, so turned on. How did this happen? My mind was scrambled; I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the feel of our bodies pressed together, his soft lips on my skin, and his growing hardness between my thighs. I let out an involuntary whimper as I moved against him, kissing across his stubbled jawline.
The rest of the world fell away, and there was only him.
Luke.
My former enemy.
The man I wanted more badly than I’d wanted anyone, ever.
“Ahem.” The loud sound of a throat clearing had us jumping apart as if we’d been electrocuted.
Ethan stood in the doorway, amusement and displeasure warring on his face.
“Ethan—” Luke began.
He held up a hand. “Save it. While I’m happy you’re working out your, ahem, differences,” he coughed, “you do not act like this in the workplace. Is that clear?”
I hung my head. My face felt hot, and I was sure I was bright red. “Yes. Sorry, Ethan.”
“Understood,” Luke gritted out. He moved to stand beside me, a show of solidarity, running a finger lightly over the back of my hand. The small, almost insignificant contact sent tingles down my spine.
Ethan’s eyes flashed between us, scrutinising, and then he clapped his hands briskly. “Good. We’ll say nothing more of it. Come on, time to leave. You both need to get a decent sleep. I want you to do another run-through of the pitch tomorrow. Liv, I can give you a lift home—I’ll be driving near your house.”
“Okay. I guess we were pretty much done here, anyway.” My voice wa
s small.
“I wasn’t done with you.” Luke’s sultry tone sounded in my ear.
Oh.
I shivered, turned on beyond belief.
If Ethan hadn’t been around, how far would we have gone?
15
Luke
“Want to tell me what was going on with you and Liv, yesterday?” Ethan’s cautious tone had my head shooting up.
Grunting, I dropped the barbell back onto the rack with a clang. Wiping the sheen of sweat from my face with my gym towel, I sat up and held out my hand.
“You’re avoiding the question.” Ethan passed me my water bottle, and I took a huge swig, feeling the cool liquid trickle down my parched throat.
“Eth, I’m not avoiding anything.” I screwed the lid back on the bottle. “What do you want me to say? We kissed, then went our separate ways. No big deal.” I shrugged. I walked over to the large rack of dumbbells in front of the gym mirror and began a set of bicep curls.
Ethan took up position next to me and started on his own exercises, his muscles straining with the effort.
“Does she know it was only a kiss?” Ethan panted between reps.
I met his concerned gaze in the mirror. “Look.” I sighed, placing the dumbbells down. I glanced at the huge guy on my other side and lowered my voice as I turned to Ethan. Despite the early hour, Savage Boxing Gym was teeming with people. “Yes, I’ll admit I’m attracted to her. She’s fucking stunning. Maybe we’d have taken it further if you hadn’t turned up, I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking straight. All I know is, a relationship isn’t on the cards. Not for me. You, of all people, should know that.”
Ethan let out a frustrated growl. “Does Olivia know this? You really need to have a conversation with her. I won’t have you messing around with her and hurting both you and her in the process.”
“Yes, Dad. We’re both adults, and what we do or don’t do is no one’s business but our own.” My jaw clenched and I balled my fists at my sides, digging my nails into my palms.