rang.
Yes! Her eyelids shuttered at the sound, and she grabbed Taylor’s arm. “I have to get that.”
Taylor popped his head up from where he nuzzled her chest. “Let it go to voicemail.” He stroked the apex of her sex, drawing another gasp from her throat.
Pushing at his shoulders, Olivia wiggled. “You know I can’t do that. It could be an emergency.” With a disappointed groan, Taylor lifted his hips, allowing Olivia the room to swing her legs free and escape. “Thank you.” Tugging her skirt back into place with one hand, she reached for her bag with the other, doing her best to control the tremor in her fingers.
Olivia plucked her cell free from the pouch, the name Kris glowing in the display. She tapped the screen and shoved the device to her ear. “Kris? It’s one in the morning. What’s wrong?”
“I hate like hell to call you, but one of the ranch hands just rang the house, and we’ve got one of the cows down. It’s not looking good, Livvy. Shit.” He huffed. “I wouldn’t have called, but you know we can’t afford to lose any of what little herd we’ve got.”
“I know. You don’t have to apologize.” Olivia twisted and glanced Taylor’s way. “I’m on my way.” She ended the call, and gave him her best apologetic smile. Taylor nodded and began to button his shirt. He didn’t look exactly pleased. Who could blame him, but he didn’t complain. He wouldn’t. One of the reasons why he was such a dear friend and didn’t deserve a head case like her for a fiancée.
Olivia explained in the car why she had to cut their night short, but Taylor barely said a word on the way home. In front of her house, he leaned over and grasped her chin, bringing them face to face. “I love you, Livvy.” Gently, he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and sighed. “I’m not giving up on us.” He dropped his arm and squeezed her hand, his smile tense. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pressure you.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, and if we move too fast, I’m worried that’s exactly what I’ll end up doing.”
Releasing his grip, Taylor turned his head and stared through the windshield into the darkness.
Olivia brushed his nape with her palm, drawing him back to look at her. “I do love you. Never doubt that.” She smiled, hoping it was enough for now.
“I know.”
“I have to go.” Olivia grabbed the door handle. “We’ll talk later. Okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “We’ll talk later.”
Olivia stepped from the vehicle, closed the door, and watched as it rolled away. God, she was really messed up. Something had to be wrong with her. Taylor was a great guy. Hell, even her brother liked him. And Kris had never liked any man who came around wanting to date his sister.
Why couldn’t she respond to Taylor’s caress like a normal woman? Unbidden, Eion flashed before her mind’s eye, his chest bare as he stood in her clinic. Her breasts tingled and her knees turned to mush. Olivia gripped the porch railing and sucked in her breath.
I really need to get my head examined. This type of fixation isn’t normal.
She had to let it go, or she’d never move on. Eion Mandrake wasn’t the man for her—no matter what her body told her. Her head knew different. He couldn’t be trusted. Not like she could trust Taylor. Taylor McDaniel was everything a woman needed in a partner and a lover.
If only she could convince her heart of that.
Chapter Six
“I’m calling Josie today,” Kris called out from the breakfast table.
“What?” Olivia kicked the refrigerator door closed with her foot, her hands filled with a jug of milk and a container of strawberries she’d pulled from the shelf inside. She marched from the kitchen into the dining room and plopped the items down onto the scratched oak surface beside her brother. “When were you going to discuss it with me?” She propped her hands on her hips.
“I’ve been thinking about
Yes! Her eyelids shuttered at the sound, and she grabbed Taylor’s arm. “I have to get that.”
Taylor popped his head up from where he nuzzled her chest. “Let it go to voicemail.” He stroked the apex of her sex, drawing another gasp from her throat.
Pushing at his shoulders, Olivia wiggled. “You know I can’t do that. It could be an emergency.” With a disappointed groan, Taylor lifted his hips, allowing Olivia the room to swing her legs free and escape. “Thank you.” Tugging her skirt back into place with one hand, she reached for her bag with the other, doing her best to control the tremor in her fingers.
Olivia plucked her cell free from the pouch, the name Kris glowing in the display. She tapped the screen and shoved the device to her ear. “Kris? It’s one in the morning. What’s wrong?”
“I hate like hell to call you, but one of the ranch hands just rang the house, and we’ve got one of the cows down. It’s not looking good, Livvy. Shit.” He huffed. “I wouldn’t have called, but you know we can’t afford to lose any of what little herd we’ve got.”
“I know. You don’t have to apologize.” Olivia twisted and glanced Taylor’s way. “I’m on my way.” She ended the call, and gave him her best apologetic smile. Taylor nodded and began to button his shirt. He didn’t look exactly pleased. Who could blame him, but he didn’t complain. He wouldn’t. One of the reasons why he was such a dear friend and didn’t deserve a head case like her for a fiancée.
Olivia explained in the car why she had to cut their night short, but Taylor barely said a word on the way home. In front of her house, he leaned over and grasped her chin, bringing them face to face. “I love you, Livvy.” Gently, he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and sighed. “I’m not giving up on us.” He dropped his arm and squeezed her hand, his smile tense. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pressure you.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, and if we move too fast, I’m worried that’s exactly what I’ll end up doing.”
Releasing his grip, Taylor turned his head and stared through the windshield into the darkness.
Olivia brushed his nape with her palm, drawing him back to look at her. “I do love you. Never doubt that.” She smiled, hoping it was enough for now.
“I know.”
“I have to go.” Olivia grabbed the door handle. “We’ll talk later. Okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “We’ll talk later.”
Olivia stepped from the vehicle, closed the door, and watched as it rolled away. God, she was really messed up. Something had to be wrong with her. Taylor was a great guy. Hell, even her brother liked him. And Kris had never liked any man who came around wanting to date his sister.
Why couldn’t she respond to Taylor’s caress like a normal woman? Unbidden, Eion flashed before her mind’s eye, his chest bare as he stood in her clinic. Her breasts tingled and her knees turned to mush. Olivia gripped the porch railing and sucked in her breath.
I really need to get my head examined. This type of fixation isn’t normal.
She had to let it go, or she’d never move on. Eion Mandrake wasn’t the man for her—no matter what her body told her. Her head knew different. He couldn’t be trusted. Not like she could trust Taylor. Taylor McDaniel was everything a woman needed in a partner and a lover.
If only she could convince her heart of that.
Chapter Six
“I’m calling Josie today,” Kris called out from the breakfast table.
“What?” Olivia kicked the refrigerator door closed with her foot, her hands filled with a jug of milk and a container of strawberries she’d pulled from the shelf inside. She marched from the kitchen into the dining room and plopped the items down onto the scratched oak surface beside her brother. “When were you going to discuss it with me?” She propped her hands on her hips.
“I’ve been thinking about
Similar Books
