Page 32 of Rivals Next Door

I tore my lips away from her and almost wiped my hand over my mouth to see if I could somehow erase our kiss. “What the fuck are…? We can’t… that was a mistake,” I sputtered, glowering at her as if I wasn’t the one who initiated the kiss.

Olivia’s chest heaved, and her eyes were glazed over with desire. “Alex… I… I’m…”

“No. It was a mistake,” I hissed. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking. I can never go there with you again.”

Her eyes seemed to clear up and her expression twisted into lines of agony. My entire body tensed when she placed a hand on my arm as she looked at me beseechingly. “I’m not the heartless person you think I am.”

I couldn’t help but snort my disbelief.

“When I broke things off, I had my reason…” She frowned. “It was a good one.”

My jaw slackened. Unbelievable. “Yeah, you got bored slumming it with trailer trash to rebel against Daddy Brentwood. I guess that was a good enough reason for you.”

“Look, I know what I said, but it wasn’t like that, Alex. I swear.”

“Then what was it?” I hissed.

She took a step back, her eyes lowering to the floor. “I… none of it matters now…”

Irritation sizzled through my veins. “Damn right, it doesn’t. That kiss never should have happened, and it won’t again. I really shouldn’t be locking lips with the person whose company I’m taking,” I sneered.

Just like that, the Ice Princess returned. Her expression hardened and her eyes narrowed. “Screw you, Alex. I won’t let you win.”

“You’re the one who’s about to get screwed, sweetheart, and not even in an enjoyable way.”

She scoffed, and I almost winced. So much for keeping things professional… it was hard to do after that kiss anyway. Before I spouted any more foolishness, I spun on my heels and marched out.

In the elevator, I let out a long breath as I looked skyward. “Alex, you idiot. You fucking idiot. Why would you kiss her?”

I realized that no matter how much I tried to convince everyone—sometimes myself—that going after Olivia wasn’t personal, I’d never pull off being professional. There was too much history between us for me to pretend that she didn’t ruffle my goddamn feathers.

12

OLIVIA

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Days later and that kiss Alex and I shared was still stuck in my head.

The man wanted to destroy everything my family built, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing the weight of his lips felt on mine. What was wrong with me?

“You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?”

I blinked and carried my attention back to Elena who sat across from me. We were in the middle of our Saturday morning ritual of yoga, followed by coffee at our favorite café. Elena’s raised eyebrows made me blush.

“I can’t help it,” I grumbled and then took a gulp of my lukewarm pistachio latte.

“I can’t believe you sucked faces with your ex when you two are supposed to hate each other,” Elena said. “I didn’t know you had it in you to step out of prude mode. I’m so proud.”

I rolled my eyes as she pressed a hand to her chest. “I don’t hate Alex,” I said. “I hate what he’s become. I hate that he’s out for my blood. The look in his eyes when he talks about winning the battle for BioTech is a little scary. A determined Alex is a dangerous one.”

Elena watched me through narrowed eyes. “Yet you sound proud.”

“I am.”

Why deny it? My friend wouldn’t understand my mixture of resentment for Alex and the pride I felt. He did it. He did exactly what he said he’d do. He made it big and changed things for the better for him and his mother. That’s why I was worried… What Alex wanted he got, and now he had my empire in his sight…

“Okay,” Elena said, putting her coffee cup down. “I need you to tell me what’s going on between you two. You dated, you broke up, and years later, he’s making a grab for your company. Why?”

I shrugged. “For revenge. Although, he swears it’s just about business.”

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