Chapter 13

Olivia scowled as she looked through the security system links Michael had provided her with. None of them seemed any more useful than the cameras already up in her building’s lobby, unless the shit-gibbon (yes, that seemed to be his official nickname now) actually tried to break into her place. In which case, it would be pretty obvious there was an alarm by the front door and he would still have the opportunity to escape.

“What the fuck is the point of this?” she muttered, frustration winding around her.

So far the shit-gibbon hadn’t actually done anything but write stuff at her. Yes, when she’d come home and seen the message on her door she’d freaked out a little, but this was obviously the work of a coward. A sneak. Someone who wanted to make her fear but didn’t seem to have the courage to do anything else.

She almost wished he would. Then she could give him the beat down Sharon had suggested. Okay, so Krav Maga wasn’t supposed to be used in that manner but… he’d already issued threats. She could consider it self-defense.

The problem was she had a lot of pent-up tension from a lot of different sources and nowhere to fully vent any of it.

Watching Luke do more scenes with Lisa on Sunday and Tuesday had sucked. And been kind of hot. He’d relaxed more into it, especially when she was watching but even when she wasn’t. Afterwards he’d changed back into his normal clothes and then came looking for her in her office. They’d chatted as she’d gathered up her things and then he’d walked her to her car.

She’d given him a hot kiss which left both of them wanting both times. On Tuesday she told him he could take her out on Friday, and then left him with a bemused expression on his face. An expression which had made her chortle more than once when it popped into her head again. There was something absolutely delightful about taking control outside the bedroom with him, leaving him scrambling to catch up.

So she had plenty of pent-up sexual frustration to go along with some jealousy about Lisa being the one to scene with him, and then all her anger and helplessness with the shit-gibbon too. Which made it all rather hard to concentrate at work, which only added to her rising levels of anxiety.

Her friends were helping some and not-helping some. They were all just as anxious as she was. She could barely go an hour without receiving a text message from someone ‘just checking in.’ Patrick had asked her permission to access her ‘find phone’ app so he could check on her during her commute, and for her to text him whenever she was leaving or arriving to and from home and work. He’d done so politely enough and it seemed a reasonable enough safety precaution that she’d agreed. The one time she’d taken the time to go to the bathroom after arriving at Marquis instead of texting him immediately, he’d completely freaked out and blown up her phone with texts and calls. It hadn’t helped that he hadn’t seen her on the club’s security feed either, since they didn’t have one in the bathroom. Olivia had set her foot down when he’d suggested it might not be a terrible idea, and fortunately she’d called him back before he’d actually gotten the police involved. Still, it was a measure of how freaked out her friends were, which in turn agitated her even more.

If only her date with Luke tomorrow was at Stronghold… Olivia was dying to play with him again. Still, at least she could look forward to having a date with him at all. It still made her feel a little nervous to be going on a date with one of her ‘bosses’, but she was pushing past her doubts.

A knock on her office door had her jerking her head up. “Come in.”

For a moment she thought the man standing there was Luke, but it only took her a moment to identify the younger Davis brother.

“Hey, sorry to bother you… but we’re having a bit of a kitchen debate downstairs and we need an impartial judge. Would you mind coming to play taste tester?” he asked, giving her the same charmingly affable grin his brother had. Too bad he wasn’t submissive and she wasn’t into harems.

With thoughts like that, she knew she definitely needed to get laid. Yeesh.

“Taste testing sounds awesome,” she said, closing her laptop. She could look at security systems to get more useless video of the key-and-paint-happy shit-gibbon later. Seriously, if he didn’t break into her apartment, there was literally nothing any of the systems could do. And if he did break into her apartment, the neighbors were more likely to call the police over the noise faster than the security system would do anything. Especially since they were now all alert. None of them liked feeling vulnerable.

Olivia wanted to be safe, obviously, but she wanted actual safety, real safety, not the illusion of it. Which was all she felt the systems actually in her price range were offering.

In the meantime, food was never a bad thing.

******

Taste testing with Olivia was kind of a date, right?

Luke grinned when he saw her coming into the kitchen behind his brother. He figured if Nick made it more official-like, she was more likely to come down.

The look she gave him as soon as she spotted him was exactly what he wanted. Her lips twisted in the disapproving moue she used when she wanted to smile, and her eyes sparkled.

“So what is this kitchen debate?” she asked, walking over to stand beside Luke. She looked professional but seriously sexy in gray slacks and a dark green silk button down. Redheads really did look good in green, even when they didn’t have green eyes, he decided. It wasn’t something he’d ever really noticed before. Olivia wore red more than any other color, but he liked her in green too. Then again, he hadn’t ever seen her in a color he didn’t like her in.

“I don’t know yet, we’ve been waiting for you so I can find out,” he said, automatically leaning towards her so their arms brushed against each other, their hands resting on the steel counter. They were on one side of the pass-through window between the stoves and the main area of the kitchen, while Nick and Avery were on the other. As soon as he’d come in, Nick had dragged him back to get his opinion and Luke had suggested seeing if Olivia wanted to come join them.

His brother had smirked, but agreed to go ask her.

“We have a couple different dishes and Avery and I disagree on which recipe is better for each dish,” Nick said, giving the woman a glare, arms crossed across his chest. Luke recognized the stance and he hid his own smirk. Nick totally had a thing for his sous chef. What was it with the two of them and office romances? Avery ignored Luke, filling two small bowls with soup and handing them through the window straight to Olivia and Luke.

“This is A,” she said, lifting the one in her right hand slightly before lowering it and lifting the other. “And this is B.”

“They look exactly the same,” Olivia said, taking A and looking between the two bowls rather dubiously.

“They’re not,” Nick and Avery said in unison before giving each other dirty looks. Luke didn’t bother to hide his smile this time as he took the B bowl from Avery.

Silverware and two glasses of water had already been laid out on the counter in front of them, so he picked up a spoon and sniffed at the soup. “Smells good. What kind of soup is it?”

“Saus—ow!” Avery shot Nick a dark look after he elbowed her.

“It’s a blind tasting!”

“That means they don’t know who made it, they’re allowed to know what kind of soup it is, you twit!” she snapped back.

Having seen his brother in multiple kitchens before and hearing some of the stories, Luke knew the two of them were probably holding back on the insults and cursing they would regularly indulge in. Olivia raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything when Luke didn’t. If she ever came down to observe an evening in the kitchen while it was in high gear, she’d hear a hell of a lot worse than that.

Probably especially because of Nick’s little crush.

“Fine,” Nick said, cutting the word off with a clash of his teeth. He swiveled his head to glare at Olivia and Luke while Avery fumed beside him. “It’s sausage and lentil soup.”

Mmm. Sounded good. Smelled good too.

Ignoring the two chefs, Luke gave Olivia a little smile as they each lifted a spoonful to their lips of the different soups.

It didn’t surprise Luke at all when every single dish was fantastic. Avery did win the soup round though, both Luke and Olivia thought Nick’s—which turned out to be A—was a little too spicy. Especially considering all the different palates which would be coming through the restaurant.

Nick muttered under his breath while Avery smiled smugly. He turned away to get the next dish.

“He wants everything to be too spicy,” she whispered, leaning forward so her face was right next to the window.

“I heard that!”

Olivia and Luke exchanged a look, hiding their snickers as a scowling Nick thrust two plates through the pass-through. Pasta carbonara, but one of them looked a lot creamier than the other.

“A, B,” Nick said, giving Luke a dirty look for laughing at him.

Nick won that round when both Luke and Olivia liked the creamier version of the dish better. The superior look he gave Avery was one Luke had seen far too often during their childhood.

“Whatever, cheater,” Avery muttered. “It’s not a real carbonara.”

“But it’s what people like better,” Nick shot back at her. “It’s what they expect when they see carbonara on the menu.”

“Yeah, if they’re ignorant.”

“This is better than dinner and a movie,” Olivia whispered to Luke as the other two continued to bicker. He snickered and leaned back towards her, sliding a stealthy hand around her waist.

“So does that make this a date?”

The back of his hand stung as she gave it a swift smack, making him yank it back.

“No,” she said coolly. Then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips down to hers. “But this might.”

She tasted like cream and butter, her lips soft and mobile under his. Luke kept his hands to himself, gripping the counter in front of him, afraid that if he tried to get a grip on her hips again she might stop the kiss.

Mean Domme.

Fucking hot Domme.

His cock swelled, and it was only the sound of his little brother clearing his throat that brought Luke back around. Olivia let him go a moment later and he lifted his head, a grin that wouldn’t quit on his face. Across the pass-through, Nick raised his eyebrows but also gave Luke an encouraging wink. Avery looked a little fascinated and blushed hotly when Luke met her gaze.

“Okay, now the mac and cheese,” Nick said.

Olivia looked down at the two offerings, one of which had bacon on top, the other bread crumbs. “Well, I’m pretty sure I know which one I’m going to like best.”

“Me too,” Luke said.

They both reached for the bacon-topped one at the same time and Avery scowled.

******

This was fun. Luke was both adorable and hot when he was being playful, becoming more and more flirtatious as they continued to taste test. Not only that, he seemed to enjoy being smacked down. Something she’d noticed before but was more apparent now than ever.

Olivia was not oblivious to the bulge at the front of his pants.

By the time they reached dessert, Nick and Avery were having a full on bickering session and Olivia took the opportunity to feed Luke a piece of the pound cake she liked better. It had a nice almond flavor to it and was a little less sweet than the other.

Obediently he opened his mouth, his blue eyes sparkling with both desire and mirth. As loud as the other two were being, it was impossible to forget they weren’t alone, but it still almost felt like it. Especially since Nick and Avery definitely weren’t paying attention to anything happening on this side of the kitchen.

“Mmm. I think I like that one better,” Luke said after swallowing.

“Me too,” she said smiling back at him.

“Which one?” Nick demanded, turning to look at them.

They both looked down at the two plates sitting on the counter.

“Uh…” Olivia couldn’t remember which one had been “A” or “B.” Oops.

“This one,” Luke said, picking up the plate and handing it over. “I’m sure two chefs of your discerning palate can figure out whose recipe it is.”

As both Nick and Avery reached to break off a piece, Luke pressed his hand to the small of Olivia’s back, bending slightly to lean into her ear.

“Quick! Run!”

Smothering her giggles with her hand, Olivia quickly walked towards the exit, Luke already two steps ahead of her when the explosion happened.

“Dammit!”

“I told you so!”

Avery’s triumphant declaration rang in Olivia’s ears as she quickly followed Luke through the door, laughing her ass off. Working here was definitely going to be entertaining. Way better than her old job. She was pretty sure there was some serious romantic tension happening between the dueling chefs. She’d have to keep her eye on that, but for right now it seemed to be generating some really great culinary creative flair.

Yum.

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into a longer break this afternoon?” Luke asked, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her, standing casually with his hands in his pockets. The soft t-shirt he was wearing clung to his broad shoulders and muscled chest, making her really wish she could say yes.

“No, I need to get back to what I was doing and then get some work done,” she said ruefully.

“You mean you weren’t working?” he teased.

Olivia made a face. “I was looking at the completely useless security systems Michael recommended. Honestly, I’m not even sure there’s much point in continuing to look them over.”

Luke frowned. “They can’t be entirely useless.”

“Not entirely but I can’t see how they’re going to help catch the guy.”

“They’re supposed to make you safer at home, not serve as the police.”

She threw her hands up in the air, frustrated as he continued to frown at her, his arms coming up to cross over his chest. “I’m safe enough! The shit-gibbon hasn’t done anything to me, in case you hadn’t noticed. He’s too chicken shit.”

Although his eyes crinkled at the term ‘shit-gibbon,’ Luke didn’t give into the temptation to smile, and she did not like the way he was still looking at her. It wasn’t his business whether or not she got a security system or when. If he thought she was the type of woman who would tolerate him butting into something completely not his business, he had another think coming.

“He’s also escalating and he knows where you live,” Luke said grimly, stepping forward slightly. Trying to intimidate her into agreeing with him? “You need the security system. If you’re not interested in it, let me pick one out for you.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. She might like scening with alpha men and she might enjoy many facets of Luke’s personality, but she was definitely not digging this one right now. Not backing up an inch, she put her hands on her hips and glared back up at him.

“I think I’m aware he’s escalating and that he knows where I live, I’m the one it’s happening to, I’m the one who came home and found his handiwork on Saturday.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. As if she could forget. Ha! She wished she could. “I do not need you to pick out a security system for me. If I decide to get one, I’ll pick out my own thank you.”

“If?!” Now he was starting to sound like his brother had in the kitchen. “Olivia, just get a damn security system! Hell, I’ll pay for it!”

Her temper lit up like he’d just thrown gasoline on it. “I don’t need you to pick one out and I definitely don’t need you to pay for it!”

“I’m not trying to insult your pride,” he snapped back, his blue eyes sparking with annoyance. “But I’d rather you have one than not, and if picking it out and paying for it are beyond you then I’ll do it. Think of it as an early Christmas present. Hell, consider it a perk of managing Marquis. I don’t care why you get one as long as you get one.”

“A perk of managing Marquis? As in, because you’re the owner you can decide what security system I get and then push it on me?”

The expression on his face changed into something almost like shock and then anger. “That’s not how I meant it. You know that’s not how I meant it.”

“Oh do I? That’s pretty much how it sounded to me.” Now she was the one crossing her arms over her chest. Luke shifted back on his heels as she glared daggers at him, obviously now on the defensive. Hot anger was burning in her chest and it was all she could do to keep from screaming at him. “But now you’re going to tell me what I know, what I should think, because you know better than me?”

“That’s not what I meant. You just want to make this into a boss-employee thing so you can feel like you were right about us being a bad idea, but it doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

“I think you should go,” she said, gritting out the words through her teeth. She was too angry to keep this up with him right now and about five seconds away from saying some things she might regret later. Might.

For a moment she thought he would refuse, but then he spun on his heel and stalked away towards the front door, leaving her standing there with her arms crossed over a chest which now felt tight and cold. Pinpricks at the back of her eyes felt like tears trying to escape. Which was so not going to happen. They hadn’t even been on an official first date yet. She was absolutely not going to cry about him.

******

Sitting in his car, waiting for it to warm up enough to drive, Luke slammed his fists against the steering wheel.

Dammit!

She’d known that wasn’t what he meant.

He’d thought she’d gotten over the owner—employee thing. Apparently not.

Although he should have known better than to even say anything about the club. Because he knew that was a sore spot for her. He’d just gotten so frustrated with her. So video cameras wouldn’t actually stop or catch the guy—the ‘shit-gibbon’ as she’d called him, and as aggravated as he was, part of him still wanted to laugh at that—but they might help. They’d be something.

Knowing she was living in her apartment, alone, with absolutely no security other than hoping her neighbors were nosy enough to pay attention, drove him fucking up the wall. A security system was something she could actually do. Or that he could do. And Luke badly wanted to do something. In lieu of pounding the shit-gibbon into the ground—that really was catchy, wasn’t it?—something to protect Olivia would do.

Except she wouldn’t let him.

And didn’t seem super enthusiastic about doing so herself.

His phone rang, and he immediately knew from the ringtone it was either Patrick or Michael. Geez… gossip really traveled that fast in this group? He almost didn’t even pick it up to look at it, but then he thought either one of the guys might have some advice.

It was Patrick.

“Hello?”

“Hey! Are you up to anything this evening?” Patrick’s friendly, laid back tone was so different from what Luke was expecting, he couldn’t answer right away. He blinked, his brain trying to rearrange itself to having a conversation which had nothing to do with his and Olivia’s argument.

“I—ah…” His brain was not cooperating with his efforts to get his shit together. It was like his thinking processes had stalled out entirely while trying to shift gears.

“Are you okay?”

One simple question and Luke found himself explaining everything that had just happened. Well, not everything, but the general gist of his and Olivia’s argument. His frustration. His helplessness.

After a long moment of silence, during which Luke immediately started questioning whether or not he should have just babbled all of that, Patrick finally responded.

“I was going to see if you wanted to come over and hang out, now I’m going to insist on it. Most of the guys are going to be here. You can talk with us about it if you want, or not.”

Normally Luke might resist being told what to do, but right now it was a relief to have a direction. Something to do other than go home and sulk with his dog. Although… now that he thought about it…

“Would it be okay if I bring Molly?” he asked. “Otherwise I’ll just have to leave in about an hour to walk and feed her.”

“Yeah that’s fine,” Patrick reassured him. “You’re lucky Lexie’s not here though. If she comes home while you’re still over, I just want to be clear, I take absolutely no responsibility if your dog suddenly disappears. Lexie is obsessed with that dog.”

Surprisingly, Luke found it within himself to chuckle. Lexie had definitely fallen in love with Molly when she’d first met the pup, and the feeling had been mutual. Then again, Molly was pretty much a love whore. She loved anyone who loved her. Even a few people who didn’t.

Hanging up, he put his car into gear.

******

“Hello?” Jared’s deep, smooth tone almost made her even more annoyed.

She’d spent the past twenty minutes trying to calm herself down and look at the security systems, but every time she looked at them now, she just got pissed all over again as Luke’s words echoed in her ears. Now she really couldn’t deal with looking at the systems.

“Come over.” It wasn’t a question. She needed her best friend and knew he’d be there, that her shortness would convey her need more fully than a thousand words would.

He paused for just a moment. “Okay. Your place?”

“Yes.” She loved Leigh, but right now she just wanted her best friend, not her best friend and his girlfriend.

“Okay, it’ll take me about thirty minutes.”

Now it was Olivia’s turn to pause. “You aren’t home?”

“I was going to dinner at Patrick’s, but you sound like you need me.”

“I do.” She hesitated again. “Don’t tell him? Not yet?”

Because Patrick would want to come too and right now she wasn’t really sure whose side he would come down on.

“No problem. I’m on my way.”