Read Online Fix You: Bash and Olivia by Christine Bell - Free Book Online Page B

had taught me and then sneered into the mirror. “Go on, get out of here,” I called after my imaginary assailant.
    “Bravo.” The voice came from directly behind me and I whipped around to find a guy around my age in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, clapping. “But you’re going to want to get that knee a little higher unless your attacker is a jockey or a dwarf.”
    Humiliation, thy name is Olivia.
    I managed a tight smile in spite of my embarrassment. “I was just fooling around waiting on Bash.” I jerked my head toward the stairs heading to the second-floor apartment. “He should be back any second if you need him. He went to get tape or something.”
    The guy nodded his dirty-blond head and stuck out his hand. “Actually, I’m Bash’s big brother, Matthias. I live upstairs too.”
    I shook his hand, noting the resemblance now. He was a little smaller than Bash, and not as dark. His eyes were a moss green instead of that bright blue, but he was almost as good-looking as his younger brother.
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Olivia.”
    His lips kicked up in a wry smile. “You don’t say?”
    Strange. Had Bash mentioned me? I opened my mouth to reply when Bash came jogging down the stairs, a frown crinkling his brow.
    “What are you doing back here, bro?”
    They faced off like opponents in the ring, and Matthias crossed his arms over his chest. “I got halfway there and realized I forgot my overnight bag. But the bigger question is, what are you doing?”
    I glanced from one brother and back again, realizing I’d stepped into something but having no clue what it was.
    “Last time I checked, I didn’t have to answer to you.” Bash’s tone was low and menacing, and his eyes glittered with an icy challenge.
    This was our third and final training session and we’d spent most of it and the previous one mock-beating the crap out of each other. He was great at playing the attacker, and sometimes even scared the crap out of me with his expressions, but I hadn’t seen him look this fierce since the day he’d clocked Andy in the mouth.
    Matthias must have seen it too, because he looked at his brother hard and long before popping off a curt nod. “You’re right on that score. So I guess I’ll just move along, then.”
    The tension abated some, and I took a deep breath. Oookay…
    “Olivia, it was nice to meet you,” Matthias said, tipping his head in my direction and offering me a thin smile before looking back at Bash. “Bro, hold down the fort. I’ll be back early a.m.”
    He went to the front of the room and snagged a black bag that had been sitting on the counter. “I think Reid’s back tomorrow too, so we’ll grab some eats out for dinner?”
    Bash nodded, “Sounds good.”
    Matthias left without another word and I faced Bash. “So what gives?”
    The cord in his neck flexed and he took his time answering. “I told him about you and what happened with Andy. He’s worried that I’m getting too involved and wants to make sure I keep my nose clean. That’s all.”
    I wasn’t sure that was all , but I did get the feeling that what he’d told me was true. The rest of the blanks filled themselves in. “Which is why we trained at my gym the first two times…” I said quietly, as much to myself as to him. Their gym was much more equipped for what we were doing, but he hadn’t wanted his brothers to meet me. I couldn’t blame him for that, after all the trouble I’d caused, but my throat went a little tight anyway. 
    Bash stepped closer and took my chin in his hand. His voice was gentle. “Look, it’s not because I care what they think. It’s because I didn’t want to hear their shit. Don’t sweat it. It’s not your problem.”
    I nodded and tried to shake off the feeling. Only now, with his hand on me, all kinds of other feelings were flooding in.
    He might feel the same pull you do, but he doesn’t want to want this, I reminded myself. He’s just trying to be nice .
    Then his gaze