CHAPTER THIRTEEN
OLIVIA KING
“Damn, girl. You look hot!” Winnie shouts when I walk into the restaurant.
I don’t even bother being embarrassed by her outburst because this is totally the norm for her and part of the reason why I love her dearly.
We hug before claiming our seats at the table for two.
“Thanks,” I say acknowledging her compliment. “You don’t look too shabby yourself. I see you finally decided to go with the bangs. Fabulous choice.”
“Why, thank you,” she says, batting her lashes. “Thank you very much.”
“God, I missed your crazy ass. Sorry it took so long to meet up. Work has been a little demanding since I got back.”
Opening her menu, Winnie stares at me over the top of it. “How’s that going by the way? Has Gavin gone back to normal?”
“Not really,” I share with a sigh. “He’s been a bit overbearing all week and I can’t figure out why. He was totally cool with me going on the trip. But since I’ve returned, he’s been on my ass about every little thing.”
Winnie narrows her pretty gray eyes at this tidbit of information.
“I’ll kick his ass,” she volunteers seriously.
And I know she means it.
Winnie doesn’t let anything come from her lips unless she can back it up. Another reason I love her to pieces.
Shaking my head, I hold up a hand in objection. “That won’t be necessary.”
She doesn’t look convinced. “Have you told Sebastian about it?”
Just hearing his name sends my heart fluttering.
“No, something happened at his job. I didn’t want to bother him. Besides, it’s nothing. Trust me.”
“You wouldn’t be bothering him, Olivia. I’m sure he wants nothing more than for you to be open with him.”
Her words put me on edge and I’m not sure why.
“How’s that going?” Winnie asks candidly.
“Fine,” I say casually.
“Fine?” my friend echoes with an incredulous expression. “You know I’m going to need more than that. I don’t know why I was ever worried about you. I sent you to find an island fling and you ended up screwing the CEO all week!”
A few startled guests from nearby tables look in our direction and I hide my face behind the giant menu. Shoulders shaking with laughter, I’m not embarrassed one bit, just thoroughly tickled.
“He sure did a number on you. In just one week, you’re looking ten years younger and sporting a healthy glow from all that vitamin D, if you catch my drift.”
Oh, I caught it all right.
Winnie sips from her water glass and eyes me studiously.
“When do you see him again?”
The smile leaves my face. “I have no idea. Like I said, things are hectic for him right now. He had to cancel his trip to visit me.”
“So why don’t you just go see him?” she asks not seeing the problem. “You can certainly afford it these days.”
“I have Arnold to consider,” I tell her. “I already left him for one week and he didn’t do too well with the change. Besides, Gavin’s already riding my ass enough as it is.”
She harrumphs, shaking her head in exasperation.
Like Sebastian, she doesn’t understand my need to stick around and see this thing through with Arnold. But she isn’t pushing me on it and for that I’m thankful.
“How does it feel being with the sexiest tech nerd in the country?” she asks playfully.
When I blush a deep shade of red, her excitement only heightens.
“I can’t wait to meet him! I haven’t seen you this bright eyed and blushing since whatshisname…” she adds flippantly referring to my ex, Jordan.
“Let’s not get ahead ourselves. We were only together for a week on the island. Now that we’re back in the real world, I don’t think he’s going to have as much time for me as he thinks. It was unrealistic to think so in the first place. But whatever we had, it was nice while it lasted.”
I know I’m speaking in the past tense, but I can’t help it. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before Sebastian loses interest. Not intentionally, of course. But work will stay hectic and the phone calls will taper off. Or maybe a woman in California will prove to be a more convenient option for him.
The thought makes me sick with jealousy but I have to be realistic.
“Oh, please. He’ll be back if he knows what’s good for him. I saw the way he was looking at you in those pictures,” she says referencing the few photos paparazzi snapped while we were out exploring the island.
She’d unearthed a ton of pictures from the web and sent them to me via text.
The photos were pretty damn dreamy, I must admit. Sebastian looked at me like I was some precious treasure he never wanted to let out of his sight. I’d gasped the first time I saw them.
And I was confronted with the fact that I was teetering very close to falling in love with him. Because my smile in those pictures couldn’t be ignored either. Instead of looking like a woman enjoying a hot island fling, I had looked blissfully head over heels. My heart was in my eyes when I looked at him.
“He’ll be back. Mark my words. A man always makes time for what’s important in his life. And from the looks of those photos, you have nothing to worry about.”
Finally deciding on what to eat, I place my menu at the center of the table and mull over her words.
***
In bed that night, I’m reading a romance novel on my tablet when a message alert sounds on my phone.
Are you awake?
Sebastian.
I sit up abruptly and the tablet hits the pillow, forgotten in a second.
Yes, what’s up?
His response is almost instant.
I need to be inside of you.
Cheeks flushed, a dull throb starts ticking at my center. I try to think of an appropriate response to what he’s just told me but I’m speechless.
Then another text comes through.
Come outside, Olivia.
Eyes wide, I stare at the message in a daze before I burst into action.
Stuffing my feet into a pair of old flip flops, I don’t even throw on a robe before I’m dashing out of the house frantically.
The screen door rattles noisily in my wake as I clamber down the front steps.
There, leaning against a Jeep in the front yard, is Sebastian.
I break out at a full-on run before I can stop myself. He catches me and lifts me easily into his arms.
“Hi,” he whispers touching his forehead to mine.
Sebastian’s breath grazes my cheek when he speaks and I take in the sexy dark stubble covering his jaw.
I can’t believe he’s here.
“Oh, my God. Sebastian, what are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly.
“I missed you,” he answers simply. As if it’s the most common thing in the world to pop up unannounced when we live almost two-thousand miles apart.
“This is insane.” My breath is still coming in short pants as I study his face, touching him all over to make sure he’s really here.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I voice aloud this time.
“Nothing could keep me away. I need you, Olivia.”
An emotion I can’t name floods me when he says this.
I just stare at him in awe before he speaks again.
“Now, tell me you missed me too,” he demands before crushing my lips with his own.