Page 44 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

“Hey! I heard you were here,” Brady says. His gaze flickers between Olivia and me, and her face breaks into a grin. A bright, beautiful grin.

Brady’s the cousin whose after-party at The Launch Pad was the scene of the McCoy triplets’ dare. I haven’t seen him since the wedding, and my brain automatically flashes back to everything that happened that night. Well, not everything.

Maybe just Olivia’s kiss.

“So … what’s up, guys?” he asks, extending his hand to shake mine.

“Nothing,” I rush to say, probably too quickly to actually seem like nothing. “Just work. You know how it is.” I force out a chuckle.

Why am I acting so strange?

Just because Brady walked in on you practically bawling in Olivia’s lap.

Yeah. Maybe that’s why.

Olivia rises from her chair, stepping between Brady and me for a hug. “I thought you and Natalie were at the Outer Banks for your anniversary,” she says.

He gives her a squeeze, then releases her. “We just got back, and I heard you were in town, working at The Beachfront with this guy.” He nods at me. “Had to come see for myself.”

She guffaws, shaking her head. “Word gets around quickly between our mothers, huh?”

“Indeed.” He glances down at the cupcakes. “Hey. Can I have one of these?”

“I made them.” Olivia’s throat flushes. “So they’re a little on the dry side. Let me get you some coffee to wash one down.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“We have a whole new coffee and espresso station in the lobby,” she says. “Using it makes me happy. So how do you take yours?”

He flashes her a grin. “Well if it makes you happy, black is fine. Thanks, Liv.”

“I’ll be right back.” She cuts her eyes to me, quickly, tugging at the hem of her polo. Then she hustles out the door, looking almost as flustered as I feel.

Brady peeks over his shoulder, watching Olivia disappear down the hall, then he turns back to me. “Is something going on with you two?”

I throw both palms up in the air, backing away. “Absolutely not.”

“I don’t know, man. You looked kinda involved when I walked in.”

“Nope. No involvement. Not at all,” I stammer. “I was just thanking her. For the cupcakes.” I incline my head toward the box. “She baked them for my birthday. But it’s all totally professional.” My throat goes tight. I’m hardly doing a bang-up job of persuading myself there’s nothing going on with me and Olivia, let alone her skeptical cousin.

“Happy Birthday,” Brady says. He leans against her desk, practically sitting on top of it. “And I’m glad you’re just coworkers. For your sake, you should probably keep it that way.”

Don’t ask why. Don’t ask why. Don’t ask why.

“Why?” I ask.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Brady’s smile goes crooked. “Liv is the absolute best. She’s been nothing but great to Nat since she joined the family. She’s hilarious and fun. I’d love her even if she wasn’t my cousin.”

I mirror Brady’s crooked smile. “She sounds terrible. I can see why you’d warn me against her.”

“Nah. It’s not like that.” He shakes his head, chuckling. “It’s just, you’re a good guy, man. And I’d hate to see you taken out by the Liv Tsunami.”

My brow furrows. “The what?”

“Let me put it this way.” He glances at the doorway. “Liv comes in fast and furious, gets men to fall hard for her—like proposing-on-the-first-date hard—then she retreats like a tidal wave. Your heart’s already broken before you even see her coming.”

I avert my gaze, moving over to my desk. “Well, that’s definitely not happening here.” I drop into my chair.

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