Page 75 of Rivals Next Door

She snorted. “Yeah, yeah, it’s common knowledge that you see more pussies than a gynecologist, Alex.”

I almost choked on my next sip of whiskey. Turning to gawk at her, I let out a laugh. “What?”

“Your love life is very public.”

“Correction—sex life. I don’t have a love life.” Since I liked messing with her to see her prudish reactions, I drawled, “And I’ve only seen one pussy the last few weeks.”

She sputtered on her next sip and said in her usual reprimanding tone, “Alex.”

I hid my smirk behind my glass.

We were quiet for a while until she spoke. “Alex?”

I glanced at her, instantly putting my guard up because of her somber expression. “Yeah?”

“It seems you’re really good with Poppy. Have you ever thought about having kids?”

I gaped and then I snorted. “Have you met me? I can’t have kids. I’d be the worst influence.”

“I don’t think so. The five-year-old in that picture says otherwise. She looked so happy hanging out with you.”

“Yeah. I’m the fun uncle, not father material.”

“So you don’t want kids ever?”

“No…”

Olivia’s brows furrowed as she put her glass down and absently traced the rim with a finger. “Why not?”

Were we really having this conversation? It seemed so intimate… in the sense that she and I weren’t in a place where we could comfortably discuss such things. “I guess I shouldn’t say I don’t want them. I love kids. I have a blast with Poppy. I just don’t see myself having any of my own because I don’t plan on settling down with anyone long enough to get that far. Kids need stability…”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“What about you?” I asked.

A shadow of a smile formed on her lips, but her eyes shone with such sadness that I wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek just to comfort her. “I used to think about having kids but not anymore.”

My eyes narrowed on her face. I got the feeling that the time she thought about it was when we were young and foolishly thought we’d be together forever. I pictured the whole domestic scene with her once. Marriage, the house in the burbs, kids, pets…

I tumbled down memory lane to the night when we first made love. As we basked in after-sex bliss, still wrapped up in each other, she’d blurted that we should get married. I had immediately agreed, and I was serious. I really did want to marry her…

I pulled myself back to the present and swallowed the lump of self-loathing that wanted to rise. It happened every time I thought about how stupid I was to think that she loved me the way I loved her.

Olivia seemed to be far away in her head too and then she blinked and looked at me. She must have seen the thunderous look on my face because her eyebrows drew together. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” The lie came out more brusque than I intended. “I think we’ve wasted enough time. We should get to work, maybe come up with a plan on exactly what we’re going to do about Don Weaver.”

Her expression shuttered and her shoulders stiffened. “You’re right,” she said, her tone cool and professional. The Ice Princess had arrived, and it was for the best. These intimate moments between us were getting to be too much.

I nodded, pushing aside all lingering emotions as I reached for the laptop I’d left on the counter this morning. “I’ve already got dirt on Weaver… obviously, but I have to go deeper.”

“Ugh.” She massaged the bridge of her nose. “After what you already showed me, I’m terrified of what we’ll find if you dig any deeper.”

The sigh that escaped me was slow, and it resonated with weariness. I’d seen some pretty depraved shit in the darkest corners of cyberspace, and I wasn’t too keen on seeing anymore. However, I had to do this. Olivia was right.

Perhaps I’d always been the White Knight even when I was a kid. My conscience would go haywire and my brain would probably short-circuit if I didn’t do the right thing and stop Weaver before he hurt anyone else… especially the woman sitting beside me.

My friends were right. Getting mixed up with Olivia was a bad idea. I’d gone from being hellbent on destroying her to helping her because she batted her eyelashes at me.

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