Her lips were sweeter than the best whiskey I ever tasted. Her skin was softer than anything I had ever felt in my life. When my fingertips touched her hair, there was a smell released into the air, like a flower spitting nectar, something fruity, but also something that just made my nose tingle and it shot through my entire damn body.

I stood there and kept kissing her. Our lips smacking together, our tongues wrestling as Olivia showed me she was willing to submit but not all the way. Which was a fucking wild turn on. I loved when a woman put up a little fight and knew how to push back at my stubborn ass.

Yet I really knew nothing about her.

I felt her hands grab at the front pockets of my jeans and pull me against her. I turned her and pinned her against the table out on the stone patio. The table stood no chance to what I had in mind and quickly moved, making a loud scratching sound. I broke the kiss as Jesse popped his head up to look around. He put his head back down and covered his eyes with a paw.

Good boy.

My left hand swooped down and I grabbed Olivia by the ass and pulled her tight against me again. Her leg went around me as she started to slide down my body a little. Feeling her body move like that brought me to life. I was throbbing in my jeans and had the damnest urge to just toss her to the patio and see how fucking wild she really wanted to get.

As I turned her, she put her hands to my shirt and gave a little push.

I was an honest gentleman as I broke away from her, but my hands balled up into tight fists, not wanting to fight the urges.

“Gavin…”

“Olivia…”

She backed up a little and stood next to the fire. The flames danced shadows against her body. I felt the hesitation coming off her.

I walked toward her and playfully moved around her to grab my drink. I then sat back down in my chair and stuck my feet out. I was so damn uncomfortable in my jeans it wasn’t even fucking funny. But I was going to play this one the way I wanted to.

Olivia stepped behind me and put her hands to my shoulders. I felt her touching, exploring, wanting to lose the battle to temptation.

“Gavin… are you happy here?”

“Here? Right now?” I looked back and up at her. “I was happier about a minute ago.”

She smiled. “I mean… with all of this. Your life. Your house. Town. Business.”

“Look, darling, I don’t know what you’re looking for out of me. You live a different lifestyle than I do. It’s obvious. You’re a business consultant so you probably go for results. Growth. I get that. Me? I got ground under my feet. It’s better than my feet being underground. Get it?”

She nodded. “I wish I could be like that.”

I reached back and took her by the hand. I pulled her around and with a quick move I had her on my lap. She turned sideways a little and goddamn if she didn’t fit against me like a piece of a puzzle.

It was instant.

It was… perfect.

So perfect I turned my head to let out a breath and calm the feeling inside my stomach.

“There,” I whispered. “You’re doing it. Watch the fire burn. Forget about the world. Just be here.”

Olivia put her head against my chest. I felt her nose touch my neck a few times, making me wonder if she was smelling me.

It was a special moment to me. A moment that I had been wanting for a long damn time.

I looked over to the chair where Olivia had been sitting and I knew that chair should have been occupied. By Luke. With Nikki curled up on his lap.

The way it should have been.

I looked up to the sky and blinked, chasing away the damn tears.

In that moment, Olivia didn’t know she was saving me.

 

* * *

 

I carried her to the couch and placed her down. Then I sat in the chair. It was the same damn thing as last time. Only without being drunk, puking, and almost stripping in front of me. Hell, even Jesse gave Olivia the nod of approval. The dog plopped down in front of the couch. That was his version of protection.

I liked Olivia too. I just wanted to know why she gave a shit about me and the town. And why she wanted to know about Luke so much. Some of that was just still raw and hard to talk about. Especially with Nikki and Ava upstairs sleeping.

I checked on them both.

Nikki hadn’t moved an inch, her face on the edge of the bed, almost hanging over the bathroom trashcan. And little sweet Ava was curled up in her blankets, lost in a world where fairy tales were real, and so were monsters, but someone would always be there to kill the monsters.

But what if the monsters sometimes won…?

I touched Ava’s head and went downstairs.

As I walked by Jesse he gave out a little growl. The last time that damn dog growled at me was when he got a piece of steak off the grill and I tried to get it back. And that was two years ago.

He really liked Olivia.

I crashed to the chair again and shut my eyes.

It was lights out, but I wondered just what in the hell was going to happen next.

The next time I opened my eyes I smelled coffee and I heard the yell of a screeching voice on TV.

My eyes shot open.

Ava was sitting on the couch, a blanket on her lap. She looked at me and smiled. Then she turned her head and yelled, “Uncle Gavin is awake!”

“Uncle Gavin is awake,” I said as I pushed myself from the chair. “Look at me go.”

Ava let out a little giggle.

I walked by the couch and jumped over it and plopped right next to her. I threw an arm around her and started to tickle her. She let out a scream as she laughed.

“How did you sleep?”

“Okay. Not quite like my bed.”

“Not quite?” I asked.

Ava smiled. “You asked.”

“That I did.”

I looked at the TV screen. I had no idea what the hell was going on with the cartoon. Or any of the cartoons anymore. What happened to the good old days when cartoon characters used to smoke, blow shit up with TNT, and strangle each other? Was that really so wrong?

I laughed and kissed the top of Ava’s head. “Where’s your mother?”

“In the kitchen. With the girl from the couch. The doctor. Hey, does she live on your couch?”

“No,” I said.

I hurried to get to the kitchen.

Just before I could cross into the kitchen, I heard and saw them.

Nikki standing at the counter, holding a coffee mug. My pancake griddle plugged in with eight pancakes on it. Olivia with a coffee mug of her own.

“He forever works,” Nikki said. “And who can blame him? Look what I did. People like me just drag him down sometimes.”

“Family,” Olivia said. “Right? That’s what they’re there for.”

“I hope you don’t judge me too much.”

“I would never. I think we’re all entitled to bad days and moments.”

“Amen to that,” Nikki said and lifted her mug.

“Blessed morning to you all,” I said, stepping into the kitchen. “Can someone poureth me a cupeth of coffee?”

Nikki looked at me and tilted her head. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Olivia said.

“I see everyone is alive and well. That’s a good thing.” I went to Nikki and smiled. “How’s your head?”

“Fine. I feel fine.”

“Do you?” I yelled.

Nikki flinched. “What the hell, Gav?”

“You got a hangover that’s going to last days.”

“Blah, blah,” Nikki said. “Good thing I have today off.”

“You do? Why?”

            “I just do?”

“Did you get fired?”

“Gavin,” Olivia said. “How’d you sleep?”

I looked back and forth between the two of them. I was outnumbered.

I backed off Nikki for the moment.

“So, Olivia, what are you doing today?” I asked with a smile.

“I have to go to work,” she said. “I have to leave soon.”

“Back to the big bad city,” I said.

“I wish I lived in the city,” Nikki said. “A change of pace and view.”

“Be careful,” Olivia said. “I wish I lived here.” Then she looked at me. “I mean, you know, like this town.”

“Right,” I said. “Right.”

I walked to the griddle and took control, flipping the pancakes.

Olivia left the kitchen to get the table ready.

“Hey,” Nikki whispered. “I like her. She’s…”

“Let it go, Nik,” I whispered back.

“Why? What’s going on with you two?”

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Nikki. “I could ask the same about you.”

She lowered her head. “I’m so sorry, Gav. I just had a really bad day. I stopped by the shop for a minute and you weren’t there. I felt alone. I felt…”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I got your back.”

Nikki touched my arm. “You always have my back. I love you, Gavin.”

She bit her bottom lip and it left me a little uneasy.

Olivia came back into the kitchen and I was ready to plate the breakfast.

Nikki went to get Ava and I turned to face Olivia.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Same to you, darling.”

“Sorry for crashing last night.”

“I didn’t mind.”

“I hope I didn’t lead you on or…”

“Nope,” I said. “I always have people sleepover and cuddle up in my arms outside and then carry them to the couch. It’s sort of my hobby.”

“Funny,” Olivia said. “I do really have to go soon though.”

I nodded. “Doors are unlocked. You’re not being held captive.”

“Hey. I talked to Nikki a little bit. She really feels like shit about what happened. If she ever needs someone to talk to… I mean, a woman…”

“Let’s just start with some pancakes.”

I put the plate on the table and we all went to town. It was an interesting scene seeing not only Nikki and Ava at my table, but also Olivia. She looked like she let her guard down a little, too. Grabbing pancakes with her hand and dipping them in sugary syrup.

I poured everyone a glass of orange juice and the adults a refill of coffee.

It was a good morning. A really good morning.

Sitting there at the head of the table, watching Nikki and Olivia talk. It had a feel to it that left me uneasy. Because when I looked down to the other end of the table, the seat was empty. That fucking seat wasn’t supposed to be empty.

I stood up and grabbed my plate and walked into the kitchen. I threw it into the sink harder than I should have and just stood there. That drew attention to me.

I soon had both Nikki and Olivia checking on me.

“I know,” Nikki said as she touched my back.

I shook my head.

“Know what?” Olivia asked.

I saw the hesitation on Nikki’s face. “Just… stuff.”

“Well, I just hope you know you can trust me,” Olivia said. She stood on my other side. She put her hand to mine. “Whatever it is, Gavin. I just want to also say thanks for entertaining me again. Things haven’t been so great…”

“And I’m in paradise,” I said.

I glanced over at Nikki.

The mood changed and it was my fault.

I sucked in a breath and rubbed my jaw. “Nik, do me a favor. Make sure Ava’s cleaned up so Jesse isn’t licking her to death.”

“Right,” Nikki said.

I was then alone with Olivia. Without missing a beat, I grabbed her by the waist and walked her to the corner of the countertop. I lifted and put her there. She was eye level with me then.

“Hey. I just want to say thank you. For what you did with Nikki.”

“She’s in pain, Gavin. Almost like she’s lost and grieving.”

“That’s exactly what she is,” I said.

“So what happened?”

I stared at her. Not yet, darling. Not fucking yet.

I leaned and gave her a kiss.

When I pulled back, Olivia touched my face.

“So are we just going to hide from each other?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Are you going to just show up in an expensive car? Tell me you’re a business consultant? Not talk about what you’re running from.”

“I told you what happened,” she said.

“Right. The little girl. That’s the final piece to something bigger.”

“Kind of like Nikki getting drunk and driving her car off the road and you covering it up?”

“Exactly,” I said and pushed away from the counter.

“I have to leave in a few,” she said. “I have a few meetings today. Can I call you later?”

“You want to call me?” I asked with a laugh. “Why do I feel like a lot of this happening between us is backwards?”

“Okay. You call me then.”

“Are you going to answer?”

“Only if I’m not busy.”

I smiled. “You’re really something, Olivia. I hope you know that. I can’t figure it out but I think I like it. I hope you know…”

I heard a noise outside.

A second later, Ava came running through the dining room and climbed up into the bay window.

I hated when she did that. I was always afraid she would push through the glass and get hurt.

“A plane!” Ava cried out.

The sound outside was getting louder.

I went to the window and looked up.

“No, Ava, that’s not a plane,” I said. “That’s a helicopter. Flying low, too.”

That was an understatement because a few seconds later I realized just what the helicopter was doing.

It was dropping down… into my backyard.

I turned my head and watched as Olivia had a grin on her face. She walked to the living room and grabbed her bag and put it over her shoulder.

“My ride is here,” she said so calmly.

“What…”

“My meeting starts really soon,” she said. “But I didn’t want to miss out on pancakes. So I needed a different ride.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” I said.

“Uncle Gavin!” Ava yelled. “You said the super bad word.”

“I did,” I said. “Sorry.”

“You need soap!”

I walked from the window, ignoring Ava. I watched as Olivia walked to the backdoor off the kitchen. She opened it and went outside. I went after her.

Right at the fire pit, I grabbed for Olivia’s arm. “Hey, Olivia. What is this?”

There was a fucking helicopter in my yard. The engine whirring, shaking the ground. The propeller spinning, throwing a breeze that wrestled with the trees and smacked my face over and over.

Olivia turned to face me and her hair blew in her face. She moved it out of the way, smiling, realizing she had one up on me.

“I have to go,” she said.

Olivia stepped toward me one last time and kissed my cheek. Then she said, “I hope I get to see you again. I like this, Gavin.”

And then she walked away.

I stood there and watched as she climbed into the helicopter with ease. Meaning she had done it before. She was used to this kind of stuff. The only time I saw a helicopter up close was during a fucking air show when I was a little kid.

Once she was inside, the helicopter engine whirred even louder. Then it slowly lifted off the ground and rose up before turning and flying away.

In a matter of a minute, my yard was silent again.

But my head, heart, everything was buzzing.

Before I could catch my breath, Nikki appeared next to me.

“Crazy, huh?” she asked.

I looked at her. “What the fuck was that?”

“I know who she is,” Nikki said. “It finally hit me. I had been looking at her, knowing she was familiar.”

“What are you talking about, Nik?”

Nikki shoved her phone in my face.

There was a picture of Olivia. Or a woman that looked like her. This woman wore a really fancy black dress that sparkled like it was covered in diamonds. She had a huge diamond ring on her right hand, one that matched her necklace and earrings. Her hair was done up all fancy, pulled back, showing off her neck and shoulders. She looked beyond elegant. She looked like a super model. Or maybe like a…

“Princess,” Nikki said. “That’s what they call her.”

“They? Her?” I asked.

“Gavin. She’s called The Princess. Her father’s name is Sterling and he’s this ruthless business guy. But she’s everywhere in the city. Super rich. Super fancy. Always getting her picture taken. Always wearing stuff like this. Doing big and expensive things. That’s why everyone calls her The Princess.”

“What?” I asked. I shook my head.

I looked to the sky.

There was no evidence of Olivia being at my place except for the taste of her lips on my lips.

I looked at Nikki.

I looked at the phone again.

The picture of this insanely beautiful woman. Dressed up so much. But I had seen her in jeans and a hoodie and she looked just as beautiful.

Aside from all of that, there was one question that I had.

What the hell was Olivia doing with me?